Plant Selected: Minimalism Design for a Standout Plant-Based Beverage

Creating Differentiation in the Homogeneous Market

China's plant-based beverage market has become highly homogeneous, with low customer perceived value for these traditional drinks. To enhance its perceived value, Plant Selected positions itself as a vegan nutrition provider, focusing on the benefits it offers rather than simply communicating ingredients and authenticity like its competitors. The minimalism packaging allows Plant Selected to stand out on shelves, breaking away from the busy and conventional design code commonly seen in the market. Additionally, Plant Selected introduces the concept of Plant Milk to the Chinese market, providing a unique alternative to traditional dairy milk.

The Plant Selected packaging is made using a PET bottle covered with a matte film, resulting in a sleek and modern look. The technical specifications of the packaging are 60mm in width, 60mm in depth, and 177mm in height.

By adopting a minimalistic design, Plant Selected creates a visual differentiation from its competitors and effectively communicates its key benefits directly on the packaging. This design not only catches the attention of consumers but also reinforces the brand's positioning as a vegan nutrition provider.

The project to redesign Plant Selected's packaging started in September 2019 and was completed in January 2020. The design team, led by Blackandgold Shanghai, included Creative Director Yang Li, Managing Director Lei Zhang, Strategic Planner Xincheng Zhuang, 3D rendering specialist Jianhui Chen, and motion designer Sheng Wan.

Through extensive research and analysis, the design team identified the need to reposition Plant Selected as a vegan nutrition provider to meet the evolving preferences of health-conscious consumers. They gathered insights from client research, focusing on the target audience's interest in ingredients and benefits. Desk research was conducted to understand the competitive landscape and draw inspiration from other categories, such as trendy zero-sugar yogurt. Several creative directions were proposed, and after discussions with the client, the minimalism design direction was chosen.

One of the main challenges faced by the design team was to differentiate Plant Selected from traditional plant-based beverages while also highlighting its nutritional superiority compared to milk. To overcome this challenge, the team looked at products from other categories that effectively communicated a healthy lifestyle. They also studied the social media accounts of influential figures in the health and wellness industry to gain insights into the products they preferred. This research helped shape the minimalism design and effectively convey the core benefit of 6g protein per 100ml.

The Plant Selected packaging, with its minimalism design and clear communication of its nutritional benefits, successfully creates differentiation in the highly homogeneous plant-based beverage market. It not only catches the attention of consumers but also enhances the perceived value of the brand. By introducing the concept of Plant Milk, Plant Selected offers a unique alternative to traditional dairy milk, catering to the growing demand for plant-based options.

The Plant Selected packaging design was awarded the Bronze A' Design Award in the Packaging Design category in 2022. This prestigious award recognizes outstanding and creatively ingenious designs that contribute to quality of life improvements. The minimalism design of Plant Selected showcases strong technical and creative skills, making it a standout choice in the market.