Nuts

branding & identity, packaging, print
client project || winner of design competition at LOUD SOURCING 2021

Nuts—literally “walnuts” and expressively “crazy”. Nuts is a startup business that seeks to sell ho-doo-gwa-ja, a Korean traditional walnut pastry. They are bite-sized walnut-shaped balls filled with red bean paste and perfectly proportioned walnut halves.

In naming the brand “Nuts,” their mission was to break away from the old traditional concept of ho-doo-gwa-ja and offer their customers a fun and young experience both tastefully and visually.

Deliverables: brand guide book; branding set; packaging; signage

The client envisioned a character logo that is fun, retro, and trendy at the same time… and so was the birth of Mr. Nuts, an elderly yet quirky walnut character that intertwines the long history of ho-doo-gwa-ja and the playful image of the brand. By emphasizing the expressiveness of the face and adding movement to the typography, I sought to deliver the energy of “going-nuts.”

Warm colors were used to create an approachable and recognizable image with earth tones relating to walnuts and orange adding a hint of dynamic and fun energy.

Ho-doo-gwa-ja is enjoyed both as a street snack in a bag or as a special gift with each pastry individually wrapped in a box. Whether it is purchased to curb one’s hunger or to win someone’s favor, the packaging was designed to amplify and continue the youthful experience the store will offer.