Homespun branding: 9 companies look local at Expo East
![Homespun branding: 9 companies look local at Expo East Homespun branding: 9 companies look local at Expo East](https://eu-images.contentstack.com/v3/assets/blt09e5e63517a16184/bltafc06db067aebac6/64cbf83cdb0bcc7a8de33eaa/NewHopeNetwork_Horizontal_RGB.png?width=700&auto=webp&quality=80&disable=upscale)
The “Hand Packed” and “Maine Made” wording on these old-world-design labels give this tasty gelato local appeal combined with Italian cache, subtly appealing to those seeking “authentic” but domestically made gelato. I love that it’s created with Maine milk, natural cane sugar, and local ingredients.
I love this company’s tea-infused cocktail mixers, but their loose-leaf tea also rocks—and the brown-paper cannisters, typewriter font, and pen-and-ink owl logo make them seem even more naturally appealing and even healthy.
It doesn’t get any homier than this—a hand-drawn image of a sweet young girl, simple, readable fonts, and of course “homemade” in the name. The branding alone makes you want to grab a bite for clean taste and ingredients, and fortunately this organic, raw granola delivers.
Part of Southern Culture Artisan Foods, these Non-GMO Project Verified, vegan-friendly mixes play up classic comfort tastes, like Bourbon Salted Pecan, Sweet Potato Pancake, and Banana Pudding. Smart branding using Southern favorites.
Note the simple, clean labels and brown kitchen twine encircling these delicious rye loaves. The company pointedly highlights the fact that it takes 38 hours to make each loaf, using carefully sourced ingredients and artisan baking techniques. That’s slow-food cred for sure.
Part of Good Boy Organics, which already uses homey branding in their BOPS chips, these organic and completely delicious sauces play up the farm connection with biodynamic labeling—a bold move that puts even more emphasis on the “how things used to be made” vibe.
These super tasty condiments could have come straight from the farmer’s market. The makers claim to be “proudly obsessive-compulsive,” and the choice of brand name makes the farm-to-table connection unmistakable. When I asked what set this gourmet ketchup apart, the charming answer was simply, “It’s my own recipe.”
In addition to the clean, simple labels, the shape of these bottles evoke old-fashioned milk cartons—appropriate, since the wording highlights “organic milk from 100% grass-fed cows,” conjuring images of a local farm and cows grazing happily on grass.
In addition to the clean, simple labels, the shape of these bottles evoke old-fashioned milk cartons—appropriate, since the wording highlights “organic milk from 100% grass-fed cows,” conjuring images of a local farm and cows grazing happily on grass.
Call it the Localvore Effect: At Expo East 2013, I saw tons of decidedly domestic and farm-centric branding that added local and regional cred to finished products. Rather than going with a modern look, many companies played up their farm-to-table roots and won points for endearing stories and homegrown passion—appealing attributes in the burgeoning “eat local” movement. Small looks (and tastes) beautiful.
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