Butter Side Up
In Russia consumer trends in food categories include strong trust to local producers, striving for goodness, interest to better life products and drive for various experiences.
At the same time the total majority of butter brands are very traditional and even conservative. They have no unique idea and are all about natural ingredients and traditional recipes.
The objectives were to develop a brandname and packaging design for a new range of Russian butter so that it would be relevant to the category and yet stand out in the market bringing a meaningful idea to people.
The target audience are millennials, who are more conscious of their eating habits, more involved in different food cultures, open for culinary experiments, concerned about the ingredients and production ethics. These people are interested not in just brands but in the ways the brands respond to the society’s needs.
«A toast always lands butter side down» - a winged phrase illustrating Murphy's Law states in its simplest form: If anything can go wrong, it will. However people in Russia are tired of predictable failures and sad news. They are craving for positive.
Creating a new brand of Russian butter we decided to celebrate positive attitude. We named the brand «Butter side up» to break the pessimistic stereotype. Then we found a symbol of positive and resiliency – the tumbler doll (if you push it down it stands right up). It’s shape is typically Russian as local origin in crucial for the success in dairy category. We also added colorful patterns emphasize locality as well as show a variety of butter tastes.
Butter is cut in rectangular pieces and wrapped in paper which is very traditional for Russia.
The central element in the packaging design is the 3D model in a tumbler doll shape. The same shape is used in the logo instead of an «o» letter. To convey the tangible feeling of moving up the «tumbler doll» models are in different positions on the packages with various flavors.
The brand is presented in 5 product types: traditional butter, basil flavored butter, chilly pepper butter, butter with herbs and a vegan variant. For each taste a special colorful pattern of the «tumbler doll» was designed. The patterns were inspired by the traditional Russian architecture and folk handcraft and give a hint on the flavor. A small piece of the main ingredient was placed as a playful wisp to bring even more positive emotions as well as to make the taste clear for the consumers.
The brand was successfully launched in the local market. Several Russian retail chains became interested in having the brand on their shelves. They even offer special terms of placement for standing out in the category with extraordinary flavors and bright modern packaging design.
However the greatest value of «Butter side up» is in creating a positive wave in people’s mood and also bringing to life a fresh approach to traditional Russian products, conveying the powerful Russian culture to young people.
Our team:
Creative director – Vera Zvereva
Creative director – Anastasia Tsirkina
Designer – Anna Burlakina
Designer – Pavel Kabanov
Motion video – Evgeniy Nikitin
Copywriter – Olesya Melnikova
Project Manager – Anna Rozhnova
Head of communications – Daria Vedernikova
CEO – Alexey Andreev
Executive creative director – Anastasia Tretyakova
Executive director – Ksenia Parkhomenko
