Patsalunki-Padarunki

Design: Fabula Branding
Project Type: Produced, Commercial Work
Client: ALC PKF Arzhanitsa
Location: Minsk, Belarus
Packaging Contents: Sweets
Packaging Substrate / Materials: Cardboard
Printing Process: Printing

Context
The Arzhanitsa company has been manufacturing desserts from processed wild berries since 1996. Their flagship product is the legendary sugar-coated cranberries — not only a tasty treat, but also a Belarussian superfood rich in a huge number of natural vitamins. This is a unique product in the European market, and it is often bought by tourist as a souvenir from Belarus.
However, the earlier design of its package was outdated and failed to communicate the nature of the product. The trademark required an updated visual image, name, and bright communication telling the consumers about its origin and value.

Name, Logo, and Package Design
The new package design is a modern minimalistic solution that emphasizes the product and easily communicates its nature: the image of a cranberry and the logo instantly get a consumer’s full attention. The corporate colours, red and white, not only symbolize ripe berries and sugar powder, but also tell about the origins of the product, as this colour combination has been widely used in Belarusian national symbols and folk patterns. A photo style on the side of the box shows cranberries in their natural habitat and sets off the main solution. Under the lid one can read information about environment support activities. This part of the package becomes available after one’s intended contact with the brand.

It is only natural that all communication for a product like this was developed in Belarusian, starting with the name Patsalunki-Padarunki (Bel. Kisses-Gifts). It demonstrated the value of cranberries as a loving gift of the forests. The name is not only rhythmical but also visually harmonious due to similar spelling of the words. It is supported by USPs that show the product as a beneficial and natural one.

Brand Mission
Belarusian marshes are ancient natural ecosystems, “the lungs of Europe”. They are also a home for cranberry plants. Only wild berries are used in the manufacture of the product, and the customer is taking a keen interest in preserving and restoring their natural habitat.

Olga Kashkan, Creative Director at Fabula Branding:
The project cycle was quite long because our team was presented with a comprehensive task – not only to present the product itself and to emphasize its authenticity, but also to support the initiative aimed at saving Belarusian marshes, an ancient spring of health and the home of these berries. We positioned wild cranberries as a Belarusian superfood – a top-quality product as rich in vitamins and microelements as its foreign analogs (goji berries, chia seeds, spirulina, etc). I am sure this will draw the attention of Belarusians to local values we can be proud of.

Anatoly Brilenok, Head of ODO PKF Arzhanitsa
Our company produces cranberry drops using innovative and proprietary technologies protected with a Eurasian Patent. For many years we have been participating in international programs aimed at the preservation of the marshes and effective use of their resources. We realize how important it is to form an eco-friendly mindset in the customers, and one of the ways to do it is our new package. Our customers loved the new design – this is confirmed by comments on our website and increased sales volumes. We’ve already received offers to supply our berries to several chain stores.

Yulia Yanyuk, designer;
I’ve been buying sugar-coated cranberries as a souvenir for my foreign friends for about 15 years. It is an honour for me to dress it up in a beautiful and tasteful way.
While working on this project, I discovered a new side of our marshes where cranberries grow. Now a marsh for me is not just mud, but a 10 thousand years old ecosystem. It makes me feel the uniqueness of our country. I believe that this project would find a key to people’s hearts and make them care about our grand and noble nature.

The rebranding of the product and the updated development strategy helped Arzhanitsa become a partner of UNDP, as the promotion of natural wild components as food products is a good tool for the environment-protection agenda. The manufacturer plans to use all channels available to it to focus people’s attention on environmental issues and to cover different segments of its potential audience. That is why we made our design solution adaptable for different media.