quench Reinvigorates Sun-Maid Packaging With Radiant Redesign

The recent package redesign produced by quench for client Sun-Maid Growers of California has been receiving a great deal of attention, and for good reason: The venerable brand’s package design had not been touched since the 70s, mainly because so many consumers feel so fondly about the “little red box” of raisins they remember from childhood.

Consumer feedback showed that a modernized logo and packaging graphics were needed to appeal to younger audiences, while keeping the nostalgic feel of the classic look intact. How could quench successfully update one of the most recognizable brand visuals for the last 100+ years?

“Our work needed to be an evolution, as opposed to a revolution,” said quench Creative Director Keith Seaman. “We were sensitive to customers whose feelings were expressed in comments like, ‘changing this package would be like taking the stars off of the American flag.’”

Maintaining the integrity of the iconic little red box was key. Sun-Maid’s female mascot (fun fact: her name is Lorraine, and she was a real person) was given a bit more space and depth on the packages, and the sun rays surrounding the illustration of her were made more prominent, making the image pop. A bold, humanist, serif typeface set large helps retain a retro feel.

The new design also calls out key product differentiation, functional benefits, and appetite appeal that today’s consumers look for in food products, such as “0g of added sugar,” “made with whole fruit,” and influential Non-GMO Project verification on the front of packages.

In addition, Seaman said, “We needed a consistent package design across the entire family of products, so we developed a system to produce a clean read and look for current products that can also play nicely with new products in the pipeline.” This move will help Sun-Maid achieve a consistent packaging look and feel as it expands into new snacking launches.

The look quench created gives the brand a strong, unified identity and identifies each product’s details, such as the fruit type or whether it is organic or flavored, and provides the most important information priority in a bold, modern font.

We think Lorraine would approve.

See “before” image and read more in this Adweek article: Sun-Maid Updated Its Iconic Logo in a Bid to Appeal to Today’s Young Parents