Rebranding a food for the future
Crunchy Critters
The client
Established in 2011, Crunchy Critters is the longest established edible insect brand in the UK.
The brief
When we first spoke to Crunchy Critters, the brand faced a strategic decision going forward.
Traditionally, the consumer profile for edible insects in the UK has comprised those looking to eat them as a dare, and those trying them as part of an educational project.
With growing concerns over the environmental impact of farming livestock, and an increased interest in alternative protein sources, retailers, restaurateurs and consumers are starting to take a second look at insects as a serious food of the future.
The founders had to decide whether to continue to pursue only this traditional customer profile, or also target those more interested in insects because of their nutritional benefits or positive environmental credentials. They chose the latter.
What we delivered
We worked with Crunchy Critters on a strategic repositioning of the brand – naming architecture, tone of voice, logo development and packaging design.
We developed a fresh brand identity pitched somewhere between serious and fun; we wanted the honesty of showing an insect in the identity itself, but we softened it by using a simple line illustration style. This illustration style has become a distinctive and flexible asset which we’ve used as we have applied the branding across other materials and channels.
As eating insets is still an alien concept to most – significant barriers to trial remain – we added ‘established in 2011’ in the logo lock-up to reassure consumers.
Designing the packaging, we used a bright colour palette with big, bold and straight-talking product names, underpinned by facts communicating the benefits of eating insects.
The tone of voice we developed is honest and straight-up, which goes through to the product names themselves: we didn’t try to mask the fact that these products are based on insects. By tackling the ‘ick factor’ head on, we hope to change consumer attitudes in the longer term.
What the client said
“Sherlock totally smashed the brief, to deliver a striking, engaging – and most importantly, appropriate – branding solution with knock-out pack designs. The team’s extensive knowledge of the food & drink sector really shone through and they went above and beyond in delivering the project.” said Nick Cooper, Founding Director of Crunchy Critters
Media coverage
We were successful in securing coverage across key food, design & packaging trade media who recognised the importance of – and strategic thought behind – the relaunch. You can click on the media titles below to read the articles they published about Crunchy Critters.
We were also thrilled with trend forecasters, The Future Laboratory’s critical analysis of our design:
“Sherlock Studio has created a new visual identity for Crunchy Critters, presenting the unusual insect-based treats in a playful and tasteful way.”
