Little Bird Chocolates came to Brandfire in the summer of 2014 seeking help with their packaging. The owners, Sara and Corey Meyer had been using stickered cellophane bags and they were looking for something more professional.

What started as a packaging discussion evolved into an overall brand refresh and strategic exploration. The company was making many types of treats - from chocolate covered animal crackers to chocolate dipped marshmallow. But their most popular - and most interesting - product was their candied jalapeño peppers (plain and covered in milk, dark and white chocolate.) Brandfire advised Little Bird to shift their focus to the hot pepper-based treats and rebrand themselves from simply a chocolate company to a purveyor of “Curious Confections.”

First, Brandfire evolved the Little Bird logo from a bird to an iconic image with a dual visual meaning: bird as pepper and pepper as bird. This one image captured the entirety of the brand and what it offered. The new logo combined with the tagline “Curious Confections” gave the company a brand with a powerful POV and positioned them to focus on treats that would make their fans curious to learn about and try each new product.

With the parent brand refreshed it was time to create sub-brands - in this case, product names. The lead product is the candied jalapeño. A spicy bite of chocolate. “Fire Bites” were born. Two words that tell the consumer what they are getting. Next was a name for their jalapeño-infused chocolate “bark” product. “Fire Bark” is product number two.

From there it was time to design packaging. Little Bird explored boxes and some packaging solutions that said “gift” but strategically Little Bird Chocolates is a gourmet treat that should be an anytime purchase. The goal was packaging that felt homemade and artisan but with a mass-market professionalism. The Meyers sourced a resealable pouch that was treated differently for each of the two products: gloss finish for the candied Fire Bites and an elegant matte finish for the Fire Bark which delivers a slightly more sophisticated feeling. The final package evokes a homemade style with a professional finish. It makes for a beautiful gift for the holidays or of course, a “hot” gift for Valentines Day.

The rebrand and packaging effort was a huge success. Little Bird’s sales since November 2014 are equal to the previous 18 months. Little Bird’s products were featured at Zest Fest and will displayed at the Fiery Foods Show from March 6-8. Both shows take place in Irving, Texas.

Brandfire
(212) 378-4238
www.brandfire.com