Grünländer – design relaunch for the cheese with the green soul

The Grünländer brand from Hochland Deutschland GmbH in Heimenkirch in Westallgäu knows what it is, what it wants to convey and who it wants to appeal to with its products. However, it was unable to express this to the desired extent with its previous packaging designs. A relaunch was needed – and the manufacturer commissioned our agency to refresh the look of the cheese packaging.

What makes the Grünländer brand stand out

Grünländer defines itself as the “green, diverse cheese brand with a clear profile, clean box and green soul you can feel.” The brand’s main slogan is ‚The cheese with the green soul‘. But what does ‚green soul‘ actually mean? The answer: enjoyment paired with naturalness and sustainability.

Naturalness: cheese products made from natural ingredients, without the use of genetic engineering.
Sustainability: small ecological footprint, generally high level of climate protection, high animal welfare standards (outdoor exercise, no tethering), recyclable packaging.

The manufacturer wants to appeal to people – especially families – who want a healthy future for themselves and their children and are mindful of environmental protection, without being radical activists.

The prototype of the target group is a person who is increasingly aware of natural nutrition and avoids artificial additives, but for whom naturalness is more important than a truly organic lifestyle, so that they enjoy not only organic products but also other products that appear natural.

With the design relaunch, Grünländer wants to achieve the following core objectives:

– Increase buyer reach
– Strengthen sustainability perception
– Realize moderate rejuvenation

Before and after comparison – the most important design changes

On the basis of an extensive briefing from Grünländer, our designers have made some more or less striking adjustments. This becomes clear from the before-and-after comparison:

Before, the packaging design was light green, blurry and basically somewhat unclear and poorly structured. The food shot on the left-hand side, with a somewhat oblique view of the cheese sandwich, did not immediately catch the eye but tended to get lost in the overall concept. Instead, the visual focus was on the Grüne Seele icon and the respective variety designation in the middle. Overall, the design appeared downright shy and indecisive – characteristics that actually contradict the personality of the Grünländer brand.

The new packaging design is much sharper and clearer. Where it was washed out before, the grass is now a rich green. The food shot is now on the right and takes up more space on the packaging. In addition, the viewer looks at the bread from above, so that the cheese comes to the fore. The Grünes Seele icon has been left in a similar position to the old design and is still an absolute eye-catcher, but it has been made more concise. The name of the variety is on the left-hand side. It is still clearly visible there, but without stealing the show from the food shot. The varying background color ensures good differentiation between the varieties. It is tailored to the respective product feature, for example green for ‚Mild and Nutty‘ (the original Grünländer product), a light red for ‚Chili and Paprika‘, a dark red for ‚Spicy‘ and light blue for ‚Light‘. We have also enlarged the brand logo a little.

Final word

All in all, the new packaging design for Grünländer cheese is more to the point, more modern and more authentic. While the old design made everything look rather artificially pieced together, the new packaging makes it look as if the cheese sandwich is actually lying on a flowery meadow, putting the viewer in a positive (natural) mood and motivating them to try the cheese with the green soul.

With the relaunched design, the German brand Grünländer is well on its way to achieving its core objectives. The more modern and structured packaging look appeals to different target groups, which increases the reach of buyers. The more natural and authentic design makes the packaging more strongly associated with sustainability than ever before. The casual and cheerful typography gives the design a younger look without undermining the traditional (brand) elements on the packaging.