Nestlé packaging
Packaging design for
seasonal and gifting
After establishing Kit Kat Chocolatory and Allen's Lollysmiths for Nestlé as the Creative Director of the agency Ensemble, I've continued to work closely with Nestlé Confectionery for many years. The launch of these two brand experiences were vehicles to explore how we could extend into a more premium space, and capture the market through traditional retailers during gifting season every year.
The key creative challenge has always been how to elevate each product regardless of the degree of production innovation, but often without hooks such as personalisation or even new product development. Dialling up premium qualities to justify a higher price, whilst retaining existing brand equity and adhering to tight global guidelines is always a priority.
The examples below illustrate a range of expertise - creative concept, packaging design and comms - within the disciplines of mainstream retail marketing.
From a production perspective, much of the packaging artwork has involved bespoke and innovative dyelines or even special print approaches. The services provided are from beginning (concept development and design) to end (supplying production-ready finished art to printers for pre-press).
Over two decades of print production experience has enabled me to be efficient with budgets and timelines with an ability to multi-task when necessary. But without cutting corners. Being nimble and talking directly with clients bypasses unnecessary processes created by agencies staffed with many layers of junior staff.
Here are more examples of packaging created for the Kit Kat Chocolatory boutiques and online store, once they had become more established. The designs push beyond what's expected for the Kit Kat brand, into a playful and more unexpected territory. But always with a need to be super-responsive and efficient with time and budget. The products pushing flavours cues with a far more conceptual approach - extending beyond the usual rules of engagement in a supermarket environment.
Kit Kat Chocolatory
Special Editions
These Kit Kat Special Editions were sold exclusively in the Chocolatory boutiques and online store, and featured innovative new flavours conceived and created locally. Highly sought-after products made in Japan (and other countries) were also sold in stores, but these were repackaged under the more exclusive Kit Kat Chocolatory brand.
Kit Kat Chocolatory
Christmas campaigns
For Christmas 2020 and 2021, an overarching idea was developed for Kit Kat Chocolatory based on a festive feast. We really didn't want to fall into the trap of the usual Christmas motifs, the category norm at this time of year. So we leant into a concept inspired by a summertime wonderland, with references to Australian flora in a bright and unique colour palette.
Allen’s packaging design
Iconic Allen's lollies dipped in chocolate allowed for some fun character illustrations to convey the product inside the pack, which were available exclusively on the Allen’s Lollysmith's online store.
Kit Kat Chocolatory Sydney - visual identity
With the launch of Kit Kat Chocolatory Sydney, a fresh visual identity for packaging and store livery was needed. This visual identity used repeated linework a common thread throughout the store design. The concept also was the visual foundation for packaging, signage and other collateral that bridges the fun and energy of the masterbrand with cues found in designer boutiques. At the time, there was also a global initiative to reinforce a red’ K’ motif across Kit Kat work, so this proved to be an elegant solution to the brief.
Kit Kat and Allen’s Christmas tins
Christmas tins for Kit Kat and Allen's that were sold exclusively in Big W. An example of how key learnings from Kit Kat Chocolatory and Allen's Lollysmiths could be translated into a gifting product in a far more mainstream and therefore constrained retail environment.
Nestlé Snak’it launch
Packaging design and launch comms for Nestlé SNAK'IT - a new product innovation combining sweet and savoury treats, tempting consumers at point of purchase in service stations and supermarkets. The concepts were created using existing product imagery retouched together to literally burst with fun and flavour. The launch was supported with OOH, and we also created a short animated version for online and social.
Well-deserved break
A quick but very rewarding initiative from Nestlé to publicly share gratitude to healthcare workers during the COVID pandemic by gifting free Kit Kat that was personalised with a big "Thank You" in hospitals.
Seasonal gift packs
The Kit Kat Christmas Cabin Kit started as a seasonal product in Chocolatory, and evolved into a highly-successful bundled pack, ranged in supermarkets. Not surprising really, as who wouldn't want to make a cabin out of Kit Kat, chocolate and Allen's lollies? The product itself was very innovative in its category by incorporating a unique level of interaction and engagement. The pack design asked for a simple solution with basic pillars - hero the product so people know what's inside, show obvious Christmas cues, and of course, ensure the brand is also front and centre. The Kit Kat Cabin Kit was a hit, and there has been several iterations of it every Christmas since.
Kit Kat Gift Box
This Kit Kat gift box brief had a high degree of difficulty, which isn’t not obvious at first glance. The client asked for packaging that had celebratory and festive cues which was not tied to a specific season to ensure that product had a longer shelf-life in stores. The brief required featuring Kit Kat fingers prominently and did not have the benefit of flavour or product innovation.
MilkyBar Cooke Bites
An example of mainstream packaging design for supermarkets shelves, launching the new "Cookie Bites" variation of Milkybar. Bespoke photography was commissioned, retouched and integrated into existing visual identity for Milkybar products.
