52 PW MAY2022
By Anne Marie Mohan, Senior Editor
Baby Food Rebrand Reflects Fresh Approach
See more pictures of Little Spoon’s redesigned packaging
nuances, and there is a lot less copy and regulations Since launching its retail line of Babyblends for on-pack, which frees up the design and allows refrigerated organic purées for babies in for more creativity. There is also more opportunity 2017, Little Spoon Organic, LLC has expanded its product line to include to create a cohesive brand as you don’t have the toddler and kids meals, vitamin boosters and remedies, and most same issues with differentiating SKUs at a retail level. Lighting, shelf recently smoothies and has pivoted to direct-to-consumer sales only. placement, brand blocking—none of those things apply. From the outset, Little Spoon’s packaging—a cup with attached blue “D2C brands are digitally native and lend themselves to storytelling— spoon, decorated with minimalist, modern graphics—has reflected the that includes the design and elements brand’s strategy, which is to provide “highused in the branding. They tend to look quality, easy-to-use, and reasonably and feel modern, clean, and iconic. The priced solutions that make it easy for branding is typically hyper-consistent, parents to keep their kids healthy.” and copy is minimal. All of these In early 2021, as the San Franciscoprinciples were incorporated into the updated based company got ready to roll out a new line Little Spoon brand, while never losing sight that of preservative-free, cold-pressed smoothies, it it is a product that needs to appeal to parents used the occasion to refresh the packaging for and kids, and celebrates the vibrant, fresh foods all its products, with assistance from its agency and ingredients the brand is known for.” of record, Little Big Brands (LBB). “Critical to the According to Long, a successful redesign is rebrand was reflecting our fresh take in a space a balance of retaining elements that are still that has remained largely unchanged, despite working hard and evolving or introducing new all the ways parents—their standards and their BEFORE designs or graphics that elevate the brand. For Little lifestyles—have evolved,” explains Little Spoon VP Spoon, LBB kept the brand’s hand-drawn logo as well as its turquoise of Brand Marketing & Partnerships Caryn Wasser. “We got started to brand color throughout the structural elements. However, in contrast to truly do things differently, and we wanted to communicate that approach the previous packaging, which featured dainty ingredient icons arranged in our brand ID.” in geometric patterns against a white background, the new branding has According to LBB Partner Pamela Long, despite Little Spoon’s a stronger, more concentrated and vibrant color palette, in addition to staggered introduction of new products, the brand always maintained white. Communication is clean and easy a cohesive look, but the development to navigate, with the ingredients always of the smoothie line provided a clear being hero. The food imagery is still opportunity for the brand to be playful, but now custom-illustrated to more overt in its design. “As they be bold and graphic, rather than using were spearheading a new wave intricate patterns. of innovation, it was the perfect time to “Finding an ownable illustration style was reconsider the brand as a whole and elevate really key to the work,” says Long. “It needed that connective tissue,” she says. to feel fresh and unique and be a style that LBB gathered insights for the redesign using we could see relating to both parents and kids. online research tools to get quick feedback and It couldn’t be too perfect or precious. With a align on design. “Thankfully, many of the folks ton of SKUs and ingredients that needed to be on the client side and agency side are Little illustrated, it also had to have extendability.” Spoon consumers,” Long says. “So we love and Little Spoon’s product lines include its High live this brand ourselves and see firsthand what AFTER Pressure-Processed Babyblends purées, in 38 varieties is working and what isn’t—from the ordering protocol, covering four stages, from Starting Solids to Transition Meals; to the unboxing, to the feeding experience. There is also a growing, Plates nutrient-dense, clean-ingredient meals in 29 options, made for robust online community of Little Spoon parents that we tap into early finger foods through big kid years, in vacuum-packed packaging; regularly; their feedback and experience shapes everything we do.” three varieties of Boosters all-natural, powdered natural remedies and When LBB designed the original Babyblends packaging, the product vitamins—Poopie Power, Sniffle Shield, and Wiz Kid—in stick packs and was sold at retail (see pwgo.to/7550). With Little Spoon’s shift to D2C, a wallet-style carton; and eight organic, cold-pressed smoothie flavors, in LBB needed to consider modern D2C design codes when rebranding. flexible pouch packaging, for on-the-go consumption. The products are “Generally speaking, designing for D2C is different than a brand that will available online through Little Spoon’s website as a single purchase or on live and compete at shelf,” explains Long. “With D2C there just aren’t a subscription basis. PW as many rules. You don’t have to worry about as many competitive
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