Sheese, glorious Sheese

The free-from food revolution has fuelled countless new brands to offer vegan, vegetarian and food alternatives the world over. Those brands that helped pioneer the category may now, however, be lagging behind in terms of packaging design and brand positioning.

To combat that, 33 year-old dairy-free cheese brand, Sheese, by Bute Island Foods, has developed a new strategy alongside brand agency the Space Creative. Sheese has grown from a tiny local brand into a global force through the sheer power of its consumers and its diverse range. But, to support that position, its somewhat tired visual identity needed to be updated.

David Thomson, creative director at the Space Creative, says the packs needed to communicate Sheese’s flavour profile and melting quality. To do that, the agency developed an illustration style that includes festive renderings of foods like tacos, calzones, pasta and pizza. These delivered a visual cue about the advantages Sheese offers. The new packs are patterned with the illustrations, bringing life to the design in lieu of the staid product photography favoured by the old identity.

“The designs have the right feel and shelf presence and most importantly, they have had a great response from buyers and consumers,” says Mark Crichton, director of Bute Island Foods.

Supporting the icons is a new copy style that direct and playful, while clearly indicating the product's benefits. The logo retains the brand’s particular typographic style, but updates it for a contemporary audience. The colour palette, which also serves to differentiate various products across the range, has been given an injection of vivacity too. The new palette is brighter, replacing the autumnal tones of the previous range. The rebrand is set to rollout across 2021.