In today’s changing retail environment, creating packaging infused with brand purpose matters more than ever. CBX associate creative directors Audra Nebolini and Chris Cook sat down with Evelio Mattos of the “Package Design Unboxd” podcast to talk about CBX’s unique approach to creating brands and developing packaging to champion brand purpose.
For major national brands and start-ups alike, the process starts with creating a strong strategic foundation. The team spoke about their experiences working with clients like The J.M. Smucker Company and Clorox. “Clorox was known as a ‘skull-and-crossbones brand,’ Cook said. “We looked at their portfolio through a new lens of brand purpose. Then we were able to reorganize the entire portfolio with over 100 SKUs, and brought it under one unified system and made it more shoppable for the consumer.”
When working on The J.M. Smucker Company corporate rebrand, the team mined insights from both inside and outside the company to develop a brand that reflected its history, but also its future. “We had to look at their heritage, while also taking into account everything they do today,” Cook said. “Smuckers feeds the whole family, including your dog! The new identity reflects that progress.”
Audra and Chris both spoke about how the Minneapolis and New York offices work together to address each new challenge with a multifaceted team “It’s really a big pool,” said Audra. “We know each of us has knowledge of different categories and has unique capabilities, so we can always pull the right resources at the right time. This helps us to be more agile for ourselves and our clients.” Audra and Chris explained their team’s heavy involvement in the strategic process, mining insights about the category, consumer, and an ever-evolving culture, and then weaving those learnings into every step of the creative process.
CBX-ers work on start-ups and major national brands alike, bringing new creative challenges to the office every day. Audra and Chris emphasized their love for working with both start-ups and major national brands “When working with start-ups, we have the opportunity to bring a new brand to the world and help it grow,” Audra said. “With national brands, we gain a strong understanding of their foundation and determine the best way to move it forward and grow it.”
No matter the ask, and no matter the client, our secret sauce is to start with purpose. Great creative grows from there.
Listen to the podcast here.
