GRAPHIC DESIGNER
THERE'S A NEU CREAM CHEESE IN TOWN.
Why do we need a neu way to eat cream cheese you might ask? Well, most cream cheeses contain a high level of saturated fat, which increases the risk of coronary heart disease.
How do we create a neu way to eat cream cheese? I'm not entirely sure, but our scientists have created a cream cheese recipe with significantly less saturated fat.
How do I entice people to eat cream cheese the neu way? I design a packaging suite that is colorful, exciting, and that screams “Buy me! Not Philadelphia!”
NEU Cream Cheese
The origin story of cream cheese was an accident when William A. Lawerence, a dairyman from New York opened a factory for Neufchâtel, which is a creamy white cheese that is made in Neufchâtel, France. When he added more cream to the cheese, it became... well... creamier... hence... cream cheese.
The word Neufchâtel was shortened to respect the history of cream cheese and to show its NEU directions in healthy lifestyles. And thus, NEU Cream Cheese was born.
Branding NEU Cream Cheese
When conducting a visual audit, I found that most cream cheese brands have a sophisticated look, like Philadelphia, or went the dairy farm route of using a cow as a mascot. With a name like NEU,
the brand design needed to be fresh, bold, and unique. In my sketchbook (as seen above), I moved toward rounded forms that resembled the creamy and soft nature of cream cheese. Hand-done "bubble letters" as a letter mark felt the most welcoming, but also bold enough to live up to its name. And thus, the brand was born.
NEU Cream Cheese: The Brand
The final lockup of the NEU letter mark in the circle was inspired by the shape of bagels. Bagels are a main canvas for cream cheese, so it only made sense to make the letter mark act like cream cheese on a bagel. The colors were inspired by the individual flavors of NEU. Blue was perfect for the main logo and original flavor because it is a cool color that speaks to the temperature of cream cheese as well as its chill personality. The snow globe-esque lockup stabilizes the circle, so it does not feel like it might roll away.
NEU Cream Cheese: Typography
Omnes was chosen for "CREAM CHEESE" in the logo to match the rounded forms of NEU. It is smooth around the edges like cream cheese is. FatFrank was chosen as the typography for the flavors and slogan to contrast the roundedness of the logo. It is still playful but more punchy with the sharp corners. Avenir was chosen for all of the important supplemental information because it is legible but still poised; and structured, but not harsh.
Edward Weston's Cabbage
NEU Cream Cheese: The Packaging
When it came to the packaging, the brand needed to be expanded, while still maintaining the aesthetic I had already created. To relate back to the logo, I created a vectorized bagel for the original flavor and a jalapeño for the jalapeño. These shapes were inspired by the photographer Edward Weston's vegetable photography. The two shapes as circles allowed for a perfect pairing with the logo. The slogan's lockup worked perfectly with the punched-out "neu" from the logo and acted as a contrast to the other rounded forms. The background needed a texture of sorts, so I created an opaque pattern with the bagels for the original flavor and vice versa for the jalapeño.
Theoretical Ad Campaign
Project created as student at Auburn University, Fall 2023. Logo and packaging created using Adobe Illustrator. Product photography done by yours truly (me).