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Rebranding breathes new life into eco-health pantry Wholesome

Wholesome, Australia

Australia – Wholesome, the online eco-health pantry committed to providing nourishing and planet-friendly products for everyone, has undergone a comprehensive rebranding led by Australia-based design studio Universal Favourite. Focused on mirroring the innovation of its direct-to-consumer (DTC) offerings, the brand overhaul aims to uphold the high visual standards of the products that Wholesome stocks.

Fundamentally, the brand embodies the belief that doing the right thing shouldn’t come at an extra cost, which is why its curated selection of top-tier, eco-health products are sold at wholesale prices. This fosters a community that contributes positively to individuals, society and the planet, values that the design studio highlights through its visual storytelling and its straightforward, purposeful tone of voice. Through the rebranding, Wholesome aims to establish itself at the forefront of Food Delivery Futures.

Amid the surge in online grocery services during the pandemic, Wholesome addresses the overwhelming range of choices and challenges of health and sustainability with a pioneering concept – eco-health. Universal Favourite stretched this concept to create the idea of The Wholesome Movement that could unite people to make better choices collectively. The rebranding features a visually engaging and educational approach, incorporating hand-drawn illustrations to communicate warmth and the brand’s core values effectively, implementing strategies we reveal in Vibrant Veganism.

Strategic opportunity

Amid greenwashing and healthwashing, consumers find themselves in a choice paralysis. In order to stand out in a saturated marketplace, businesses must adopt simple, bold and unique branding – typefaces, logos, mottos and brand narratives – in order to capture consumer attention

Dating app Feeld rebranding is as creative and fluid as its community

Feeld

Global – Sex-positive dating app Feeld has a new look. Using visual cues to represent multiple ideas of sexuality, the brand identity embodies fluidity without using the stereotypical rainbow trope.

As Feeld approaches its 10-year anniversary, the dating platform has worked with studio Made Thought, typographer Charlotte Rohde and photographer Molly Matalon for a rebranding ‘breathing human emotion and joy back into online dating’. After studying user data, Feeld found that openness to exploration and curiosity are common traits among members. One third of straight males, for instance, changed their sexuality to heteroflexible, bi-curious or bisexual on the app in 2023. To visually translate fluidity, warmth and sensory stimulation, Feeld has introduced Aura, a gradient image treatment tool inspired by heat mapping. To deepen the tactile and intimate feel, the app has been enhanced with a living motion system reminiscent of the human body’s motions of breath, heartbeat and touch.

In the Unrefined Intimacy design direction, we explore further how the visual narrative of sex and pleasure is being reset for a new era of raw, confrontational and inclusive communications.

Strategic opportunity

Take inspiration from Feeld’s new face, introducing movement, heat and sensory features that digital interfaces often lack. How does your brand translate human connection into online spaces?

Pernod Ricard introduces wines designed for pairing with greasy food

Photography by Polina Tankilevitch

UK – Pernod Ricard is shaking up the wine industry with the launch of a new range of wines designed to be paired with takeaways and fast food.

The Greasy Fingers collection includes two varieties: Luscious Red 2022, a medium-bodied, fruit-forward blend of Shiraz and Grenache with cherry and strawberry flavours; and Buttery Chardonnay 2022, a peach, vanilla and cinnamon spiced wine with a buttery mouthfeel.

Launching in British supermarkets Sainsbury’s, Morrisons and Asda in November 2023, and available online on Amazon and Ocado later in the year, each bottle retails at £10 ($12.45, €11.45).

The affordable wine and suitability for fast food will appeal to those trying to save money during the cost of living crisis, but still treating themselves to the occasional takeaway.

According to Pernod Ricard, the number of wine drinkers under the age of 34 is dwindling. By launching Greasy Fingers, the winemaker joins other brands in Pouring Wit into Wine Branding and challenging the sector’s stuffiness with unconventional branding and personalities that align with younger drinkers.

Strategic opportunity

Identify under-represented or underperforming audiences in your industry and tailor branding and marketing strategies to resonate with them, while proving your brand’s ability to appeal across different demographic groups

Stat: Survey gauges consumer mindsets this holiday season

Photography by Any Lane

UK, US – Businesses and consumers alike are still feeling the squeeze of the cost of living crisis. After surveying 4,000 consumers across the UK and the US, market research company Zappi found that consumers will shop earlier and smarter to make the most of holiday shopping on a budget.

This year, more than half (55%) of Britons believe their Christmas will be affected by the need to tighten the purse strings. When it comes to shopping intentions, 46% of consumers unsurprisingly plan to spend less on gifts than last year. Smaller budgets mean consumers plan to shop smarter – seeking deals and promotions (38%) and purchasing gifts earlier than in previous years (21%).

Despite a cautious approach to spending, the majority (61%) of consumers are still excited by the holiday period. When it comes to brand activations, Britons prefer Christmas advertisements featuring acts of kindness (47%), togetherness (45%) and festivity (44%) this year. For businesses, these findings are key to prepare and adjust holiday communications in the face of the cost of living crisis.

Strategic opportunity

Consider how you can tap into consumers’ pragmatic approach to holiday spending, focusing brand activations on fostering a festive spirit that doesn’t break the bank and advertising how you can help consumers to shop smarter