Carlino’s Exclusive Collection Italian Tomatoes are a line of whole peeled, crushed, diced and cherry tomatoes in easy-to-use cans for retail and food service. The line of vine-ripened tomatoes are grown in the rich volcanic soil of Naples, Italy. Hand-picked from the vine at peak ripeness each season, they boast a sweet robust flavor and low acidity making them a pantry staple free of added sugars and preservatives.

This clean and fresh product called for an equally clean modern look while still showcasing the homemade and hand-crafted Carlino’s quality. Bold color and hand-drawn illustrations coupled with handwritten type brings a modern feeling to this staple product.

Italian Tomatoes

Young and fun, appealing to homemakers, and home chefs.

Stand out against competition on the shelves.

Brand Recognition

Objectives

When this project was introduced, the lead designer at the time created the moodboard and outline of the packaging which I was asked to work off of. As I was working under the visual guidelines that were suggested, I was feeling stuck and unable to produce a PDP that did the product justice. After the lead designer left the company, the project was handed to me solely.

In order to continue working I knew I needed a fresh mindset. So I decided to approach the project as if there were no brand guidelines, no preconceived decisions, and no moodboard. I got rid of all the limitations that were holding me back from creating the best composition. This method of working was able to pull me out of that slump and allowed me to try ideas that were new and exciting. I started thinking of the product like a consumer and not a designer. What would make this pop off the shelves to me? What would be interesting enough for me to pick the product up? After finding the best composition and extracting ideas, I worked backwards and made the design fit back into Carlino’s brand style and guides.

The Process

Old Concept

Old Badge Concepts

Chosen Concept

Since the tomatoes are encased in a tin can, they can feel manufactured and removed from personal touch. To add back in Carlino’s touch of homemade artisan quality, I had a member of the family contribute their handwriting for the design. This hand-done elements attaches a personal touch to that’s intertwined with the Carlino’s brand values.

Handwriting

I did a lot of different illustration styles in order to find the one that worked best with our brand, the shelf value, and stood out against the competition.

The gradient blue gives customers a visual key as to what type of tomatoes they’re getting while keeping the Italian tomatoes together as a set. On store shelves, they stand out from the yellow and greens of the competition.

Since the product is entirely encased, the bright red and vine-ripened tomatoes need to be shown to entice the consumer for the item and show them without words the product they’re searching for.

Illustration

I worked with our copywriter to figure out the best use of our limited space on the can for our brand story and why this product is special. We worked on many different layout options for dividing this information together and how to get our point across as fast and easy as possible for the consumer.

Copy