Packed Snack Co. is a direct-to-consumer food brand I initially created in my second-year portfolio course and expanded on during my fourth year. With an open opportunity to make anything I wanted, I spent time learning about D2C brands and creating my own from scratch.
Have you ever opened a bag of barbecue chips and been met with a distinct lack of seasoning? Unwrapped an almond chocolate bar to find fewer almonds than you expected? While it’s not a complex problem, it’s one that most people can relate to. Mass-produced snacks often skimp on quality for the sake of quantity. What if someone catered to a niche market that would be willing to pay a little extra for top-notch snacks?
With this concept in mind, I created Packed Snack Co., a web-based business that puts quality first. Each order from the brand is packed with delicious snacks, which are in turn packed with the perfect amount of seasonings and add-ins. The mission? Deliver the ideal bite every time.
This project received a Silver Addy Award in AAF District 5.
Packed Snack Co. offers a variety of sweet and salty snacks that are low in sugar, high in protein, and ethically sourced. Customers can order products individually or mix and match to make their own personalized Snack Pack. If they’re not sure what to start with, they can try the premade Sweet & Salty Sampler and use the enclosed discount code to save on a full-size order of their favorite flavor from the box.
The brand’s candy bar bases include milk, white, dark, mint, and ruby chocolate (derived from naturally-occurring ruby cacao beans). Each bar’s mix-ins or fillings give it a unique edge. White Choco Macadamia is a remix of its cookie counterpart; Choco Crunch Coat turns a local ice cream shop topping into a jam-packed chocolate bar. The product line’s defining trait is “classic with a twist.”
The non-candy range includes snacks like popcorn, nuts, and chips, packaged in bags or refillable, recyclable cans. Later on, the brand would conduct customer research to determine the best options to expand this line.
As I spent time brainstorming potential brand names, taglines, and copy, the tone that emerged was clear-cut and playful. Packed Snack Co.’s brand voice matches its D2C model– skip the middleman and talk straight to the consumer. Casual slang, alliteration, and a dose of honesty blend to convey what the brand is all about.
Check out this sample from the website to get a feel for the tone: “All killer, no filler. When you order from us, you’ll get your money’s worth. We don’t skimp on quantity or quality. Each Snack Pack is filled to the brim with delicious treats to share (or scarf down yourself). It’s not just any snack– it’s a Packed Snack.”
I wanted this brand to look just as bold, punchy, and satisfying as the snacks taste. The oversized type and bright colors, combined with patterns and illustrative elements, bring the Packed Snack experience to life. The smiley face is a personality-driven supplement to the logo.
Each product features a unique, tileable pattern and black-and-white text backed by bold color. With infinite shape combinations, Packed would never run out of packaging options for new products.
The website is the heart of Packed’s business. It sells visitors on the concept of the brand before showing off its products. The site introduces other selling points, including a reordering option, eco-friendly packaging, and gifting via Care Packages.
Users can sign up for the brand’s spam-free email list. I designed a welcome email with a discount code, brand benefits, and the Sweet & Salty Sampler as a first-time recommendation. To continue the customer connection, I also put together a snapshot of Packed’s curated Instagram feed.
This was my first true branding project, as well as my first deep dive into creating packaging for a range of products. Through my early research and explorations, I fell in love with the potential of packaging design and the process of coming up with creative, viable products.
As I developed Packed Snack Co.’s brand voice, I discovered that I enjoy copywriting, especially for websites. I learned more about employing a distinctive voice without it distracting users from their goals. When a brand’s voice and visuals are in sync, it can make a lasting impression on consumers.
