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Hubbards Toppers by Coats

Opinion by Richard Baird Posted 12 April 2016

New packaging for Hubbards Toppers by Coats Design, New Zealand

New Zealand health food business Hubbards have launched Toppers, a family of 4 mixes to add to muesli and yoghurt, aimed at the growing market of  ‘tinkerers’, a consumer group that want to customise their breakfast and snacking experience. Hubbards worked with Auckland based graphic design studio Coats to convey the promise of each mix in a compelling manner and in a way that would comfortably sit within a brand language described as quirky, engaging, honest and down-to-earth. This is achieved through bold custom lettering, illustrative detail, bright colours, visual and material texture.

Illustration and lettering for Hubbards Toppers by Coats Design, New Zealand

Coats make good use of some well-established healthfood, cereal and snacking conventions. These include, but are not limited to, a bright but natural colour palette, earthy material texture, die cut windows that bring product quality to the forefront, loosely rendered type and personable lettering, storytelling component, conversational and playful tone of voice, rough stamp textures, bursting lines and flying ingredients. These are resolved in an intentionally scrapbook way that gives it a convivial, small batch quality without looking cheap.

New packaging for Hubbards Toppers by Coats Design, New Zealand

The titles are perhaps the strongest and most visually interesting component with some nice illustrative and hand lettering detail, lovely colour choice and texture that stand out from a fairly busy back and front of pack.

The result is sense of youthful energy, ideal for the health food market, without appearing childish. It secures shelf impact with a clear communicative hierarchy that picks out key details. There is a strong continuity between each of the four varieties in type and structure, whilst remaining individually distinctive. It by no means challenges the visual cues and aesthetic conventions of the category but is a good example of these done well, and is in keeping with the Hubbards brand and associated products.

Design: Coats. Opinion: Richard Baird.

New packaging for Hubbards Toppers by Coats Design, New Zealand Illustration and lettering for Hubbards Toppers by Coats Design, New Zealand New packaging for Hubbards Toppers by Coats Design, New Zealand Illustration and lettering for Hubbards Toppers by Coats Design, New Zealand New packaging for Hubbards Toppers by Coats Design, New Zealand 08-Toppers-Packaging-Branding-Photography-Coats-Design-BPO New packaging for Hubbards Toppers by Coats Design, New Zealand Illustration and lettering for Hubbards Toppers by Coats Design, New Zealand