Company: Wise Foods

Website: www.wisesnacks.com

Introduced: December 2016

Distribution: Regional and National

Suggested Retail Price: $3.99

Product Snapshot: Cheez Doodles, the fun, irreverent cheese-flavored snack, has been an east coast favorite since its debut in the 1950’s. Now, Wise Foods is expanding the appeal with new flavors, product innovation, and a complete refresh of its packaging.

Perspective: Branding, the San Francisco-based brand packaging design firm, was tapped to refresh the brand across all sku’s and increase shelf impact, while also protecting the brand elements that consumers recognize and love.

The existing visual equity of the yellow circle of type previously found in the logo was transformed into the ‘world of cheddar,’ which also injects an element of whimsy, a nod to the brand’s personality. Increasing the scale of the word Cheez vs. Doodles also helped to emphasize taste appeal in the brand name.

Background colors were changed from candy tones to ones associated with food flavors and a paint-like texture resembling sprinkled cheese dust adds to the appeal. Real photography of cheddar cheese and the product taken from an overhead angle reinforces the quality taste experience while also parodying how a consumer would view the product at the point of consumption. 

The existing line includes 35 SKUs and, with this rebrand, 3 new items were introduced: Cheez Doodles Extreme, Cheez Doodles Queso Habanero and Cheez Doodles Baseballs. Cheez Doodles Extreme is designed as a sub-brand and features the product as a striking match, igniting the taste experience, while Queso Habanero follows the core packaging design system. The brand also partnered with the New York Mets baseball team to introduce the exclusive item: Cheez Doodles Baseballs, sold throughout the greater Metro New York market.

The new packaging is currently shipping to both traditional east coast markets and select national retailers.