Ian’s Foods

The Challenge

Gluten-free food brand Ian’s found themselves in a similar predicament to others in the allergen-friendly food market: better-for-you products carry the misnomer that they cannot be as delicious as their allergen-having competitors. Although their high-quality selection of nourishing foods, along with a commitment to sustainability, had awarded them a sizable and loyal consumer base, Ian’s realized that they were not telling (nor selling) the full story of what actually made their products unique.

With an opportunity to think outside their gluten-free box and appeal to a wider audience, Ian’s brought on The GRO Agency to refresh their brand packaging and design.

Our challenge with the Ian’s packaging rebrand was to shift the narrative around all of Ian’s genuine value propositions, without ostracizing their current clientele who relied on a trustworthy product for their day-to-day health and lifestyle.

The Solution

When it comes to an informed brand strategy, we let consumer research do the talking. In this case, our overarching analysis led us to develop a brand strategy with the central premise of comfort – comfort foods and flavors that you love without the allergens and artificial ingredients that you don’t.

Based on this guiding principle, Ian’s logo was invigorated with on-trend design elements that remain recognizable and anchor their existing customer base, all while more accurately reflecting Ian’s core purpose. The sleek icon and typography is more easily distinguishable to the Ian’s brand, while nodding to the former brand that customers have grown to know and love.

Then, the packaging layout was updated to cultivate a rustic, natural aesthetic reminiscent of home-made, comfort cooking. The product messaging also encompasses all that Ian’s brings to the table, including a more complete list of allergen-friendly categories, while retaining a primary focus on gluten-free.

Finally, through high-quality product photography that effectively highlights each flavorful quality of the product, the focus slightly shifts from the better-for-you aspects towards a more taste-driven experience.