The Protein Ball Co.

Robot Food Unleash The Protein Ball Co.’s Unruly Side with ‘Ballsy’ Rebrand

Global creative agency Robot Food has unveiled a bold new brand identity for The Protein Ball Co., designed to disrupt the saturated protein snack market and establish the brand as the attitudinal category leader.

The new creative idea, ‘Ballsy by nature’ – executed through the visual and verbal identity, packaging design, and brand world – swaps soft wellness clichés for an expressive, unruly brand that heroes the gnarly side of nature and the products’ clean, all-natural ingredients.

“After 11 years in business our brand had lost its personality” explains The Protein Ball Co’s Marketing Director Sam Wiliams. “We needed an agency that could challenge us and channel our commitment and passion into something that truly represented our brand values and would propel us into our next stage of growth.”

Too much to process

In a market flooded with protein-packed products, The Protein Ball Co. faced a battle not just against other protein balls, but the entire snack category. With many mass-market protein bars facing scrutiny for hidden sugars, ultra-processed ingredients, and poor macro-nutrient balances, The Protein Ball Co. was determined to shake things up with their clean, minimally processed recipes and smaller, bite-sized balls, perfect for snacking.

“Today the gap between wellness and pleasure is closing”, says Robot Food’s Creative Strategist Chloe Stacey. “Products that offer a functional protein fix and nothing else just aren’t enough anymore. It’s serotonin-boosting snacks that serve function, flavour and enjoyment in every bite that win a place in consumers’ hearts (and stomachs).”

Balls to the wall

“There’s an unwritten rule that ‘natural’ must mean ‘delicate’. But nature isn’t soft at all. It’s brave. It’s balls-to-the-wall. It’s metal” explains Martin Widdowfield, Creative Director at Robot Food. “So, we channelled the badass nature of a cobra-fighting mongoose to give The Protein Ball Co. an identity that celebrates their natural ingredients and unrelenting quality – with attitude.”

The new visual identity trades in TPBCo’s previous ‘cute’ aesthetic for raw, unfiltered realness. Expressive typography combines an authoritative sans serif to communicate credibility, with an energetic handwritten font that injects confidence, complete with a vibrant colour palette to reflect the bold, flavour-forward product.

The new packaging heroes the rugged, natural beauty of the protein balls through textural product photography, while making the benefits easily digestible through clear, no-nonsense claims.

“TPBCo. has always been the OG in the category and a market leader, they just needed a little nudge to have the confidence to outwardly act like it!” Says Robot Food’s Designer Sam Jepson. “Bolstered by the brand idea ‘Ballsy by nature’, the new distinctive assets have the flexibility and impact to span across an ownable brand world.”  

Calling out corner-cutting

This ‘ballsy’ approach extends to the verbal identity too. The messaging, created by Robot Food, isn’t afraid to call out the corner-cutting of competitors, while adding a burst of excitement with sensorial flavour descriptors inspired by the elements. “We wanted TPBCo. to burst back onto the scene with an opinionated voice that would make consumers question their snacking habits and embrace their ballsy side.” comments Robot Food’s Senior Copywriter, Lizzie de Jong.

The rebrand has already delivered significant commercial impact for TPBCo. Matt Hunt, Co-founder of The Protein Ball Co., said: “Our bold new look and unambiguously ballsy tone of voice has not only solidified our big idea but helped us secure ambitious new listings in Caffe Nero, WH Smith, and 10,000 new retail points in the US. I couldn’t be happier with the result.”

The new identity for The Protein Ball Co. products are now live in stores and online at: theproteinballco.com