Kabuto Noodles new kids’ range

Design: B&B studio
Project Type: Produced, Commercial Work
Client: Kabuto Noodles
Location: London, UK
Packaging Contents: Noodles

Premium instant noodle brand Kabuto has released a new range of noodle pots specifically for kids, with design by branding agency B&B studio.

The new design – which sees shorter noodles delivered in brightly-hued, smaller-scale pots with milder flavours – builds on B&B’s original DBA award-winning brand identity for Kabuto, which saw the challenger scale from launch to a £5m brand in just five years.

An authentic alternative
Following feedback from their consumers that many parents were giving the noodle pots to their children as an after-school snack, the brand asked B&B to craft a new kid-friendly range extension that celebrated the brand’s authentic Asian-inspired flavours with a British twist and retained the impact of the original identity.

The result is a witty and colourful ‘Kabuto Kids’ range that draws on the strength of the core brand equities – such as the logo and typography – but with an added playfulness, seen in characterful Samurai faces within the logo on centre-pack and interactive games on the back.

Staying true to the brand balance
Shaun Bowen, Creative Partner at B&B studio, says: “The main challenge many brands face when diversifying their product range is how to make the brand relevant for new audiences without losing the strength of the original identity. It’s testament to the vision and integrity of the Kabuto brand and strength of the core design equities that they translate so seamlessly across multiple product ranges.”

What’s Unique?
Crispin Busk, Founder of Kabuto Noodles, says: “Following the longstanding success of our core range, the launch of ‘Kabuto Kids’ is a direct response to consumer demand. We listened to our consumers and, on understanding that the core Kabuto range was already being used as a practical option for kids’ dinners or an after-school snack, we saw an opportunity to refine our existing offer and better meet our audience’s needs.

“It was crucial to us that the wider brand identity wasn’t diluted or made too childlike and B&B has struck this balance perfectly with a witty, playful brand language and visual identity that transcends the kids’ category and appeals to consumers of all ages.”