Zoo Studio designed this beautiful packaging for Cacao Barry’s gourmet chocolates which contain Conduru — a high-quality chocolate handmade in a small plantation in Brazil.
And this packaging is almost more spectacular than the chocolate itself! There are a variety of intricate and tantalizing elements on this packaging that make it stand out from the competition. One element, in particular, is the wooden container that holds these delectable goods.
It’s really unique to use wood as the main material for chocolate packaging, and it’s something not many brands would consider doing themselves. But there is a backstory to this choice that really puts the brand and its history front and center.
The reason this brand went with a wooden container is due to the process that cocoa farmers go through to store and package their beans. They put these beans into wooden crates and barrels, so the design studio took this influence and infused it into the packaging to create a captivating design that turns heads.
Additionally, there are various layers of different types of woods that make it a colorful and interesting piece. It adds an unfinished, raw and authentic feel to the design that elevates it further. And it established not only the product but the brand as a whole as one that understands its roots and where it came from.
The mismatched woods add depth and texture. This packaging dares you to reach out and grab a hold. It captivates more than just your sense of sight, but your sense of touch as well. And it's so raw and earthy that you know these products came from a good, strong and trustworthy place.
Wood is strong and sleek. It shows power and resolve. It’s not dainty or elegant, but robust and authoritative. And that’s what this brand wants to tell its consumers.
Similarly, the magnet that holds this packaging together shows the structure and a dependable backbone. It’s easy to open, but sturdy enough that consumers can trust it. And that’s exactly the same thoughts this brand wants its consumers to think when they think of them.
It’s not just what’s on the outside that makes a statement. The inside of this packaging, right before you get to the scrumptious chocolate within, is encased in an enchanting foil that grabs your attention and gives off a very luxurious and enchanting air.
The cylindrical chocolate inside the tube is encased in a shiny gold foil that shows a sophistication and a classiness to the chocolate and to the brand. It’s bright and bold and in your face. When you pop the top off of this metallic cylinder, you’re met with such a majestic sight that makes this chocolate look like a piece of fine art.
The only other design element on this foiling is the logo that’s stamped on the top in sticker form, holding it all together. The logo is encased in a square, with a coffee bean-like image sitting at the top, and the wordmark stacked below. It’s a regal and simple logo design that exudes the same class that the overall packaging does.
There was dedication infused into each and every aspect of this design. And it shows the skill and the resolve of the brand to provide its consumers with quality products at every step of the way.
The typography that sits on this wooden surface is equally important to talk about. Different sizes, font styles and spacing make these words jump from the cylindrical package and force you to get a closer look.
And even here, the choice to go with a funky, eye-catching and almost unreadable font was intentional and ties in with the brand and its legacy: “the use of different typographies with uneven kerning reinforces the idea of genuine improvisation.”
This adds to the almost organic and earthy qualities of the design that show the beauty comes from the natural aspects of this packaging and these products. It might be made from humans but it comes from the earth.
At the top of the tube, the embossed logo sits, like the final message before the secrets are revealed. It's nice, clean and simple.
The use of typography and imagery on this package is innovative and unique but most importantly, it highlights the value of this special chocolate and shows that value to its consumers in a dazzling display of talent and expertise.
Cacao Barry is a chocolate brand with a long history. It was founded in 1842 by Charles Barry in France. He traveled to Africa to find the perfect chocolate beans and ended up with just the right concoction to create stunning chocolate pieces that were extremely popular.
In 1923, another chocolatier came into the picture by the name of Alexandre Lacarré who catapulted the brand into the future. By 1952, the brand was an established, gourmet bean-to-bar chocolatier and as the years continued, so did their product offering.
This premium chocolatier has a history that’s full of exciting innovations and products. And you can see this prestige in the products themselves.
According to the company:
As former coffee and tea merchant, the Barry family set the standard in 1842. By travelling to Africa to seek out and harvest a selection of cocoa beans to transform them into the most refined and delicate cocoa and chocolate products. Bought by the enterprising Lacarré family in 1923, the company was catapulted into the international arena, while further investing in cocoa plantations, factories and communities in both Africa and South America.
And the packaging of these chocolates certainly elevates that sophistication heritage.
Zoo Studio was behind the creation of this design, and had this to say about the concept and packaging they created:
Conduru is an exclusive chocolate originating from a small cocoa plantation in Brazil, which has produced 100 one-kg chocolate cylinders to obtain a limited series of 100 packs. The first, and therefore most special, of these was delivered to Pierre Hermé, ranked as the World’s Best Pastry Chef at the 2016 World’s 50 Best Restaurants ceremony in New York. The concept and design for the packs comes from the main material with which the farmers store the cocoa: wood. Using this concept, we researched different types of wood: natural, stained and/or with varying thicknesses.
And this concept certainly does give this exquisite chocolate an edge that is enviable (and certainly gets your mouth watering!)
Because of the brand’s rich past, the design studio knew they had to infuse these elements into the packaging. And it starts with the wood cylinder that certainly gives this chocolate an edge that elevates it leagues ahead of its competition.
The Cacao Barry packaging is unique, innovative and fun. It takes the idea of traditional chocolate packaging and turns it on its head. This package design is fit for a sophisticated and gourmet chocolate brand such as this one.
Right from the start, this packaging stands out. And that’s a result of the rich, wooden casing that makes up the cylindrical design. This wooden nature adds character and credibility. It calls back to the chocolate beans and their African roots.
It’s also the same material that farmers used to store cocoa. And the design team at Zoo Studio really put in a lot of research to find the perfect combination to make this wooden surface pop.
It’s experienced and earthy. It has a history and a prestige that matches that of the brand itself. And it works.
Similarly, the woods are of different colors, densities and finishes to give it a very unfinished and raw look. This is to mimic the bean-to-bar nature of this gourmet chocolate company.
The next element that grabs your attention is the varying typography. It's uneven and improvised, which is exactly what the designers wanted. This gives the brand a personality and sets a very mysterious and urgent vibe to the chocolate as a whole.
And the gold foil within really adds a luxury and a class. You can’t help but feel like his chocolate is indulgent and sophisticated. It’s a higher class of chocolate for a higher class of people. It’s majestic and enchanting — and the gold foil requires you to open it up like it’s a gift just for you.
This chocolate package design demands to be seen and interacted with. And it exudes an authority and a majesty that is not commonly seen in chocolate packaging. But in this situation, it works to make these products irresistible.
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