GALACTIC TRAIL MIX

The Galactic brand of snack foods, created by Chef Richard Bradford of the Culinary Institute of America, founder of True Fare and RSB Foods, and co-author of the New York Times and Amazon #1 Bestselling book, The Whole30, is a superior, paleo-friendly line of healthful snacks designed to provide the nutrients and energy to support the busiest, most demanding, and active of lifestyles.

The initial incarnation of the brand was built around a very slick, modern, space-themed concept. While attractive enough on the surface, the packaging failed to connect with the consumer of the product, which was identified to be outdoors enthusiasts (campers, hikers, climbers, etc.) and busy people on-the-go who wanted to fuel up with a higher-caliber, natural, paleo-friendly snack. With modern illustrations and a metallic packaging substrate that showed through in parts, sales suffered due to the misalignment of brand and target.

Our rebranding effort started with the logo. To maintain some consistency with the existing brand, we identified a similar font with a more textural treatment, and modified that to create a more rustic brand mark.

Most importantly, we wanted to ground the brand with an engaging personality and story that would resonate with the primary target of outdoor enthusiasts. By relating to the outdoors lifestyle, we sought not only to inspire hard core adventurers, but those of us who long for a chance to get away and experience the majesty of nature. We crafted a new narrative that focused more on our perspective of the galaxy from the surface of the Earth.

On a clear, dark night, away from the bustle of civilization, sometimes that distinct swath of stars–our Milky Way Galaxy–is visible. It can be overwhelming to think that we’re just one tiny speck of dust in an unimaginably vast galactic expanse…but introspection quickly turns to contemplation; about the next big adventure on the horizon. Needing strength to conquer what lies ahead, we no longer have to forage. We have Galactic Trail Mix – the perfect blend of fruit, nuts, and seeds to hit the trail running!

CUSTOM ILLUSTRATION & SMART DESIGN

We decided to keep illustration as the focus of the visual narrative and style, but rather than the sharp, space look from the previous packaging design, we opted to create custom illustrations of nighttime outdoor scenes that aligned in a more meaningful way with each product, with the Milky Way Galaxy as a fixture of the background.

We gave each product a new name – Adventure Blend and Bonfire Blend – which served to reinforce the product narrative. We used bold fonts, and were careful to ensure an information hierarchy on the package that would carry the eye through the design quickly to understand the product and its significant benefits; which include organic, non-gmo ingredients, as well as paleo-friendly and no sugar added.

Each package is further differentiated by color, with yellow and red being the first two in a line that’s planned to expand to a larger family of products.

PRODUCT LINE EXTENSION

Following the launch of the Galactic Trail Mix brand, the company was eager to expand the Galactic brand to include other snack foods. With the launch of the Hearty Beef Snack Stick, Galactic Snack Stix was born.

Featuring the same brand identity and conceptual approach, this initial trial launch will precede a larger initiative to produce a complete line of snack sticks with branded display boxes and marketing materials.

RESULTS

In addition to the client being very satisfied with the work that Upstart Food Brands has done to elevate the Galactic Snacks brand experience, the new and improved branding and packaging are getting rave reviews at industry trade shows and with grocery buyers. It’s too early to determine sales success with any degree of accuracy, but as the brand expands, and the Galactic name becomes more established, our hope is that we’ve helped solidify the foundation of the brand for sustained future success.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.