HumTree

HumTree is a small batch fair trade brand, with products sourced from Sundarbans, India. Out to prove that affordable does not have to mean low-quality, the brand has two aims: offering high-quality at accessible prices and giving back to the local forest workers by generating employment opportunities.

Studio Ping Pong worked with HumTree to create the brand name, brand identity, and packaging for their honey, helping to bring their story to life. HumTree works with indigenous communities of Sundarbans using forest-friendly practices. This sense of harmony and community was highlighted in the naming and branding. Hum, from the Hindi word for ‘us’ and the sound of bees, and Tree, reflecting its commitment to natural practices.

The visual design was made using linocut-style hand-drawn motifs and illustrations inspired by imagery from nature. Evoking the harmony of flora and fauna that the brand stood for and highlighting the handcrafted nature of its products. ‘Hum’ in India is significant of a community or a collective. HumTree is a brand that puts community at its centre. This idea was actualised by making the people of HumTree the focal point in the packaging.

The logo was created using custom type, borrowing from vernacular alphabets (M) of the region. A modified Pally typeface was used for titles and subtitles to stand out in shelves. While Basic Sans was used for body text, Good Dog New and Chantal was used within the packaging to complement the hand-drawn style illustrations.

The colour palette was kept to earthy greens and browns, evoking the forests where the products were made. The honey packaging relied on heavy use of deep brown-the colour of the honey, along with flavour based tones of magenta, green and gold.

With families and children as one of their identified customers, use cases were added to the packaging itself bringing out the unique benefits of each of the variants.