Armeanu Creative Studio's Award-Winning Packaging Design: Smoked Trout

Combining Tradition and Innovation in a Unique Packaging Design

The inspiration for the design came from the brand's story. Valeputna is a tribute to the first trout farm and the artisans who invented the recipes for smoked trout. The brand's name is derived from the small village where the recipe was first created, and it is said that the smoked trout was beloved by the royal family in the 20th century. The design combines the symbolism of tradition, royalty, and nature.

The packaging design is unique in its reflection of the brand's personality, roots, and history. Every element of the packaging has a symbolism behind it, communicating the tradition and refinement of the product. The challenge was to convey the rich legacy of the brand while expressing a desire for innovation and perfection.

The packaging is made of kraft carton, featuring golden folio and selective varnishing. The folded size of the packaging is 11.5 cm x 25 cm, while the unfolded size is 24.5 cm x 30 cm. The printing is done in CMYK + Pantone Coated. The compact shape of the product facilitates easy storage and transportation, and the packaging offers easy manipulation for the product by easy insertion and closing.

The design process started with a discovery workshop where the team evaluated the current position of the brand, its attributes and values, the target group, and the competition. After this, the team developed a rebranding strategy and established the final brand positioning and values. The data collected helped them to elaborate three visual directions for further development of the brand. The chosen visual direction led to the redesign of the logo and the brand manual.

The biggest challenge was to highlight the rich heritage of the brand while keeping the design simple and modern. The visual must be clean and simple but must communicate all the values: traditional recipes, roots and royalty, quality, and ethics. The decision to move from a 100% traditional visual to a premium one was a bold and daring one for the brand owner. The brand has all the elements in taking its well-deserved place: rich authentic history, ethics, quality, and innovation, all fueled up by passion and devotion.

The packaging design for smoked trout products combines contrasting colors together with specific elements (the circular pattern background, the medieval gate shape for the cardboard cutting, and the golden seal) to communicate the attributes of the product: tradition, heritage, and natural ingredients. The most visible items: the seal and the medieval gate shape are present on the entire product range, representing both tradition and continuity.

This design is a testament to the power of combining tradition and innovation in design. It not only pays homage to the rich history of the brand but also paves the way for its future. The award is a recognition of the creativity, technical expertise, and artistic skill that went into the creation of this unique packaging design.