A chocolate bar to suit every individual’s needs and emotions.
Project
Switch Bar
Partner
Mette Harker
Institution
Massey University
Wellington, New Zealand
Duration
6 weeks
As people are becoming more aware of how the food they eat will make them feel, Switch offers a dynamic novelty chocolate bar that acknowledges people's shifting moods and emotions. Its range of flavours are tailored to satisfy this multitude of moods. Each bar has been designed with the specific mood in mind, utilising imagery that connotes the mood as well as intricate illustration to emphasise the diverse range of people and therefore the need for a personalised bar.
project brief
We were tasked with creating a novelty bar for Nestlé that would compete with Cadbury’s Moro bar. We were to investigate the current marketplace and identify a trend which would inform the concept. The concept was to be developed into a final prototype including flavours, packaging, and a proposal for how the new bar will be introduced to the public.
background
Cadbury and Nestlé are both strong contenders in New Zealand’s novelty chocolate market. Cadbury’s Moro bar has been a Kiwi favourite for over 50 years. It has an energetic and masculine perception, is distributed widely across the country and is heavily promoted. After a patch of bad publicity, Nestlé would like this new bar to change the conversation. With the consumer marketplace becoming so fluid and dynamic, many opportunities to delve into new niches regarding health, environmental, and social concerns have arisen.
strategy
Our approach was focused on the prominent consumer desire to support companies that are environmentally and ethically concerned, as well as the growing awareness around what we are eating and how it will affect us.
process
research phase
Early stages of our project began with researching Nestlé and its competitors. We explored the companies’ backgrounds as well as their products, pricing, placement and promotion strategies. Exploration of current macro trends informed our concepts. Environmental and ethical concerns were prominent with many consumers choosing to support transparent companies, buying locally sourced ingredients, moving towards plant based products, and becoming aware of sustainability and waste. Health concerns were also at the forefront of the consumers mind with people becoming more aware of how the food they eat will affect them. This is seen through a trend towards protein products, movement away from sugar and towards real ingredients, and a desire for personalised products.
Perceptual map showing how New Zealand’s top chocolate bars are perceived by consumers relative to eachother.
Macro trend research.
exploration of concepts
Originally we decided to design a protein packed chocolate bar which went back to basics in response to consumers’ desire for more wholesome and ‘real’ products as well as the trend towards protein for satiation rather than for sports.
Early sketches of packaging concepts for this protein packed and energetic bar. We explored imagery such as abstracting sports fields, cavemen, and primal creatures.
Low fidelity digital developments of the sketches.
Following peer testing, we decided that this concept seemed more like a granola bar than a sweet treat. We took the underlying concept, the idea that people have become more conscious about what they are eating and how the food will make them feel after, and revised it. Instead, proposing that Nestlé should make a bar suited to how people want to feel after the bar based on their moods and needs.
Early sketches of revised concept exploring how we could show contrasting moods such as ‘Energise’, ‘Indulge’ and ‘Recover’ as a set. We explored a lot of symbolism and iconography of the moods.
To prototype our final bars we laser cut wood to create the ‘chocolate’. This allowed us to ensure the functionality of the packaging in its three-dimensional form.
Our final flavours would be Sustain (Coffee and Orange), Indulge (Raspberry and Pistachio) and Energise (Apricot and Almond). Other future proposals included Recover (Marshmallow and Caramel) and Hanger (Peanut Butter and Toffee).
Finalisation of market positioning
Target Audience
Using psychographic segmentation we divided our target audience into three groups - adventurous people, the conscious diner and foodies.
Break down of target audience from dossier.
Brand identity blueprint from dossier identifying how Switch will be positioned in the market and its overall brand essence.
Brand Communications
To introduce the Switch Bar to the market we developed the Switch Booth. A portable and interactive cardboard booth which will be set up in different locations where certain moods are expected. Sliders are used to gauge the user’s mood and then inside a hidden person evaluates their response and puts out the most relevant Switch Bar. The entire concept of the Switch Booth highlights Switch’s philosophy by emphasising the dynamic variety of moods. It is highly interactive and engaging developing Switch’s friendly and personal persona. This fun, as well as the element of mystery and reward lures people in and generates participation.
The Switch Booth set up in locations such as a marathon to push the ‘Energise’ flavour, or the cinemas for the ‘Indulge’ flavour.
design solutions
Switch focuses on tailoring to people’s moods and therefore the illustrations on each novelty chocolate bar are related to each bar’s mood. They connote the moods through related activities and things; such as surfing and skateboards for ‘Energise’, and graphs and books for ‘Sustain’. The busy and intricate illustrations emphasises the diverse range of people as well as the activities and things that interest them, highlighting the need for a personalised bar. The vector style used in the packaging creates a fun, energetic and friendly novelty bar. It feels slick and contemporary, encouraging untraditional purchasers to try it. Colours are chosen to reflect the flavours and appeal to consumers’ stomachs. They also relate to the mood itself. i.e. ‘Indulge’ is deep pink, an indulgent colour, with shades of green to reflect raspberry and pistachio. Through these design elements, the tangible and intangible features of our bar become clear to consumers. It’s promotion methods such as the Switch Booth will work in harmony with the packaging communications to present Switch as a dynamic new alternative to Cadbury’s Moro Bar.
challenges
The most challenging part of this project was finding a unique niche within the congested chocolate market. This was overcome through lots of research into up and coming macro trends we could capitalise on.
software used
Adobe Illustrator
Adobe Photoshop
Adobe InDesign