Theo Rebrand: A Bold New Identity for Premium Chocolate

Clarkmcdowall Inc's Innovative Approach to Chocolate Branding

The inspiration behind the rebranding was "Boldly Reimagined", a concept that aims to bring consumers closer to the layered beauty of responsibly sourced chocolate. The design features a bold paint stroke as a window to taste discovery and an expression of the craft of premium chocolate. The white background suggests clean eating and purity of ingredients, allowing the pack to cut through visual clutter on the shelf. The paint stroke is a distinct element that stands out within the category, while the Theo brand mark itself exudes an idiosyncratic quality.

Theo Chocolate pioneered fair-trade, bean-to-bar chocolate. But when new players came along and fair trade became a common feature, it was time to differentiate. The designers needed to show the link between higher-standard chocolate and good taste. They clarified the brand purpose, expanding their offerings through innovation. For design, they prioritized elements that were central to this story and developed a confident visual identity across the ecosystem.

The realization of this design involved a segmentation study to understand the premium chocolate category and consumer, including current and future Theo consumers. Following segmentation, a brand equities study was conducted to understand what elements were central, supporting, and not relevant to Theo's study. From there, a differentiated brand purpose and positioning platform were defined, which ultimately inspired the creative idea, "Boldly Reimagined".

The design has proven successful, with Theo Chocolate's sales increasing by 11% in the grocery channel over the past six months compared to the same period during the prior year. The brand has outpaced and contributed to category growth during the COVID-19 crisis. Moreover, base velocities over the past six months have increased by more than 20% in both grocery and natural channels compared to the same period in 2019.

The project took six months from kickoff to delivery of final packaging. The design was realized through a combination of online consumer segmentation, ethnographies, and brand equities research. The results included consumer segments, a bullseye consumer target profile, a core consumer insight, and a tangible brief with recommendations for brand evolution.

This rebranding effort was not without its challenges. Growth had slowed and there was pressure to turn the brand back to positive growth quickly. Before reimagining Theo visually and verbally, the designers had to understand the premium chocolate consumer, the category, and where they fit within it. They wanted to ensure they understood the role of the current brand equities before moving forward. Theo also had great attributes to communicate and part of the challenge was to prioritize the messages that were most meaningful to consumers.

The Theo Rebrand was awarded Silver in A' Packaging Design Award in 2021, a testament to the creativity, professionalism, and innovation that went into the project. This recognition is a testament to the design's strong technical characteristics, splendid artistic skill, and remarkable level of excellence.