The art of creating a food & drink brand.

Branding in the food and drink industry is all about the senses. Making people feel thirsty, hungry, and ready to buy your product out of the hundreds of other options on the shelf next to it. This is probably one of the most competitive markets out there, with purchase decisions being made in split seconds while loyalty is built through experience and cravings.

So, how do you get it right? Here’s the lowdown on what it takes to create a food or drink brand, with real examples from our food and drink branding agency’s personal archives to help inspire.

The challenges of F&B branding

First up, let’s talk about the challenges of food and drink branding. When it comes to fashion and tech, people do their research. They shop around and it could be weeks before they finally make that purchase. Food and drink? You’ve got seconds. Most purchases are made during a weekly shop or on the go, when hunger or cravings strike and the need for satisfaction is immediate.

But people don’t just buy food products, they experience them. So your brand needs to evoke that experience, whether it’s the taste, a quality, or an emotional connection. And let’s not forget regulations. Depending on where you’re selling, there are endless rules about what you can and can’t say, what needs to be listed, and how you present your product. Navigating that while staying creative is an art form in itself.

What makes food & drink branding different?

The satisfying crunch of a crisp. The tsss of a cold beer. The warm hug of a hot chocolate. The way people interact with food brands is deeply emotional, being tied to culture, nostalgia, and personal preferences. A moment of indulgence, a childhood memory, a lifestyle. So while storytelling is important for all brands, it’s especially powerful when it comes to the food and drink industry.

Then there are all the sensory elements to consider. Since we can’t sample the goods through a screen or a shelf, your brand has to do all the heavy lifting. It needs to engage taste, smell, texture, and even sound. Every element from the colours and fonts to the texture of the packaging plays into how people perceive flavour and quality before they even take a bite. It’s a big ask.

Creating a food and drink brand

1. Know your story

Before you even begin with your designs, think about your brand’s narrative and the experience you want to deliver. This is your what, why, and how. An engaging, honest, and above all, authentic origin story or founder narrative can add that deeper layer of emotional depth. This gives your audience something to latch onto and care about, guiding them towards your products over your competitors.

2. Find your shelf space

Whether you’re an artisanal bakery or a young snack brand, understanding where you sit in the market is crucial. Are you premium? Budget-friendly? Disruptive? This positioning should be reflected in your branding, guiding everything from your logo to your tone of voice.

3. Colours feed the senses

Colour, typography, and imagery signal flavour, quality, and personality. This is where colour theory comes into play. Warm colours make us feel hungry, making red an especially popular choice, while yellow is also great for grabbing people’s attention. As for green, this has become almost synonymous with healthy options.

But while colour theory can be a useful starting point, it’s not always so black and white. It also comes down to the actual shade. A fluorescent green might evoke a toxic image over a healthy one. Blue is seen to suppress appetite, but when you have the right shade combined within the right colour palette, it can be a powerful differentiator perfect for cold foods or healthy options.

4. Typeface & perception

Indulgence, freshness, innovation, nostalgia. Your choice of type says just as much about your brand as colour and imagery. Serif fonts that evoke an image of tradition, heritage, and craftsmanship are popular among artisanal and high-end brands, while sans-serif fonts are more modern with a clean and approachable feel that’s perfect for healthy foods.

Looking for authenticity and warmth? Scripted fonts are a great choice for a homemade feel packed with personality. Or if you want to create a snack brand with a sense of energy and excitement, then bold, blocky typefaces are the way to go. Cursive script is another option, and while it can be tricky to get it right, this can really elevate your brand with a touch of elegance and sophistication.

5. The role of imagery

There are several directions your imagery can go depending on the story and image you want to convey. With photography, you can focus on ingredients to highlight freshness and transparency, or use lifestyle imagery to show a reflection of your product existing within your consumers’ own lives.

Alternatively, ownable illustrations create a unique look that can really stand out from competitors. Artisanal brands use this approach to emphasise craftsmanship, while others may use it to create a playful and fun personality. On the other end of the spectrum, premium brands may use no imagery at all for a sleek, sophisticated aesthetic.

6. Pretty & practical packaging

Once you have all your branding elements, these need to be married within a packaging design that really pops. This means knowing how to use your typeface, colour palette, and imagery in harmony, as well as when to step back and embrace the white space. Giving elements room to breathe is just as important as the elements themselves.

But as well as aesthetics, your packaging design needs to tick all the other boxes. Follow regulations for things like ingredients, allergens, and age restrictions, and consider its practicality. Compostable materials, resealable pouches, and easy-to-carry bottles are the design choices that will impact repeat purchases and the growth of sustainable brands.

Examples of food and drink brands

Driven by powerful, authentic storytelling and standout packaging, here are six examples of food and drink brands we’ve worked with. Each tells a unique story, delivering high shelf-impact designs that challenge the competition.

Marriage’s Millers

Legacy, craftsmanship, reliable

Established in 1824, this family-owned miller based in Essex has a rich heritage. Their food branding strategy effectively communicates this legacy while appealing to both professional and home bakers.

Their tone of voice and taglines proudly underscore their expertise, emphasising tradition and craftsmanship to spark trust and position them as a reliable choice of flour. This is further accentuated by the considered use of all caps, evoking an image of authority within their sector.

As for their packaging designs, these combine modern with traditional aesthetics. The result is a bold design that can be adapted across their wide product range, appealing to a broad spectrum of bakers.

Evolution Beer Co.

Innovative, sociable, disruptive

An independent craft brewery, this brand is all about pushing boundaries. Their distinctive identity draws inspiration from Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution, paying homage to their local town of Shrewsbury.

The play on monkeys and humans within their logo design and imagery creates a playful visual narrative that emphasises the social nature of their products. As for the packaging, each brew features a vibrant and eye-catching design with unique illustrations to reflect their individual characters and the brewery’s creative spirit.

The choice of fun typefaces also varies between each design, shifting between bold, cursive, and scripted styles to convey different personalities. All the while, their wordmark stays a consistent sans-serif, reflecting the clean, modern, and innovative direction of the brand.

Tanners Wines

Heritage, elegance, quality

Established in 1842, this family-run Shrewsbury business has grown into one of the UK’s finest wine merchants. Their curated selection of wines and detailed knowledge of their products have earned them numerous accolades over the years, turning them into a reputable brand founded on tradition and quality.

Their brand reflects this, marrying historical roots with modern design elements for an identity that appeals to both longstanding patrons and new customers. The ship’s decanter symbolises the founder’s maritime heritage and the company’s long-standing presence in the wine trade, accentuated by the use of vintage family photo archives that add an authentic, personal element.

The inclusion of James Tanner’s signature further adds to this warm, family-owned image, as does the addition of italicised elements with an effect similar to that of a scripted font. This fusion of traditional serif fonts and clean, modern lines also conveys a sense of elegance and trustworthiness while ensuring readability and a contemporary feel. As for the colour palette, this evokes sophistication and warmth with deep burgundies and rich golds complemented by neutral tones.

YÖGG

Playful, bold, youthful

Looking to disrupt the UK dessert market, this up-and-coming food brand whips up creamy soft-serve in sweet brioche buns. The wordmark showcases playful, irregular letters that exude fun and personify the product. This expressive design demands attention with its bold playfulness, confidently shaking up the space. This ties in with the approachable and playful typeface chosen for lead messaging, while the use of a sans-serif for body text ensures the brand remains reliable and trustworthy.

As for the bold colour palette, bright shades of yellow and pink appeal to a younger audience and evoke sweetness. As for the unexpected addition of blue, this both evokes the frozen element of the product itself and allows the brand to stand out in a saturated market. Brand-led photography is lifestyle-oriented and relatable, while messaging reflects the fiesta of fun in each bun.

Rivière d’Or

Tradition, culture, art

More than just an olive oil, this is a way of life. Embracing age-old techniques passed down through generations, they produce natural, hand-picked olive oil of the highest quality. Driven by a passion for the art of olive oil production, their mission is to promote Tunisia as a global leader in olive oil excellence.

Their brand is a powerful driver in this mission, with every element evoking a taste of place and flavour rooted in tradition. Brand-led photography of olives, farming, and location is warm and softly filtered with a vintage feel, reflecting both the care that goes into their product and the heritage of their production techniques. Additional photography of food and recipes inspires consumers with possibilities in their own kitchens.

Meanwhile, a vibrant colour palette celebrates both olive oil and Tunisia, inspired by the clay of the earth, the yellows and greens naturally found within olives, and the health benefits of olives themselves. This celebration continues through exotic and playful illustrations combined with elements that reflect local heritage, including a map, Tunisian flag, door shape, and olive and elephant marques.

NINE Bar

Healthy, delicious, natural

These tasty seed-based snack bars are packed with health benefits. Nine, to be exact. And their branding strategy effectively communicates this commitment to nutrition and flavour.

The choice of bold, sans-serif fonts creates a modern and clean aesthetic that reflects a simplicity that aligns with their straightforward, transparent messaging about the health benefits of their products. Meanwhile, their imagery appeals to the health-conscious consumer seeking transparency in their food choices by showcasing the natural ingredients they use, highlighting wholesome and healthy ingredients.

As for their choice of colour palette, the core colours of deep green and brown further evoke the natural aspect of their products, while each flavour has been given its own distinct, lively colour. Think red for berries, green for pistachio, and orange for orange. This not only aids in flavour recognition but also enhances appeal, harnessing colour psychology for powerful shelf impact that speaks to the impulsiveness of snack purchases.

Choosing a food & drink branding agency

Branding in food and drink is all about appealing to the senses and creating an experience. Whether it’s cravings, nostalgia, indulgence, or health benefits, you need to tap into those emotions at a glance. From colours that spark appetite to a story that builds trust, it’s all in the detail.

Get it right, and your brand will be the one that gets picked off the shelves time and time again. Looking for help? Based in Shrewsbury and growing businesses nationwide, get in touch with our food and drink branding agency to find out more about our projects and what we do for businesses like yours.