What is the Objective?
The primary objective for this project was to establish and create a clean, cohesive packaging design and brand for the targeted consumers. As well as the seamless creation of two different types of packaging and promotional materials for three different flavours of the product.
The Process
The initial process started when I began thinking about associating food with a cartoon. I wanted it to be recognizable and act as a mascot for the brand while also having meaning behind the choices. I know I wanted the main animal to be a bunny because of the association with how bunnies are soft. As well, to create a positive association with the brand, I wanted to make the bunny look like it's chewing on the mochi and satisfied with the product. The shape of the bunny's head is purposely made to look like mochi.
Mochoo Brand Identity
I wanted to create a unique selling point for Mochoo to help peak consumers' interests, so I decided that it should be known as "the choo-iest" mochi and made it the tagline. The colour choices are more on the softer side to help emphasize the product with accents of dark blue for added contrast. The fonts pain de mie and coco sharp are chosen because of their clean look and added personality.
The elements are made to be cohesive and match each other's flat illustrated style to allow the viewer to subconsciously associate the elements as a group.
The Design Concept
The overall look and concept was using similar styled elements and illustrations to make the design more cohesive and tied together. In general, all illustrations used are more rounded to give the feeling of friendliness and being approachable. The only difference mainly being the colour changes for the different flavours is intentionally supposed to help consumers relate all three packaging to each other as a whole.
Ads
To keep the scattered look, I decided to mimic the same style on the ads itself to create a stronger brand identity and easily allow viewers to associate the style with mochoo as a brand. The ads showcase the three flavours and give viewers the idea of how mochoo is the "choo-iest" mochi out there.
One challenge would be trying to make the ad visually interesting while keeping the brand in mind. It was also hard to find a way to display the physical products itself and making sure to keep the focus on the product.
Merch: T-shirts
The idea of the t-shirt was to create an everyday style that consumers will want to wear and this was done by drawing inspiration from branded street style fashion. This is a great way to help promote the brand and get more reach to a wider audience.
To tie in to the consumers and target audience, the addition of bucket hats to the merchandise line up seemed fitting as bucket hats are on trend. The t-shirt on the model is another version of merch to emphasize the tagline of the brand.
Another challenge I found was trying to avoid just placing the logo on everything without meaning. Since the logo is quite recognizable as a standalone, it made it easier to experiment with different concepts and layouts.
Merch: Tote Bags & Pins
The tote bags and pins showcase the main symbols of Mochoo and are pieces that can go together. The two show the brand's aesthetic and personality.
What Would I do Differently?
01 Experiment with different font choices
Although I like how the bubbly and soft aesthetic of the Pain de mie font complements the brand, I realize the importance of testing alternative fonts. The font selection can change both the message conveyed and the overall perception of the brand.
02 Try out more engaging social media concepts
By experimenting with new ideas, interactive content, and storytelling approaches, it can capture the attention of the target audience more effectively. This shift towards more engaging social media concepts not only enhances online presence but engagement with the brand as well.
What are the Key Takeaways?
01 The importance of creating a strong brand and tying it into your target audience
I learned that effective design establishes a connection between your brand and your target audience, evoking emotions and perceptions that resonate with them. By understanding audience's preferences, behaviours, and aspirations, it can create visuals that speak directly to them and in the business aspect, create a meaningful relationship that leads to brand loyalty.
02 The impact of design elements and choices on the overall brand
Every decision, from colour palette to typography, share equal weight in shaping how the brand is perceived by its audience. By selecting specific design elements that align with the brand's values, personality, and objectives, we are able to communicate that with the consumer. I also learned that consistency and coherence in design choices not only promote brand recognition but also shows professionalism and reliability.