For this week’s rebrand, we are venturing into the world of sustainable and plant-based food production and looking at Meati.
This company produces alternative protein sources made from nutrient-rich mushroom roots, free from pesticides, growth hormones, antibiotics, and animals!
Available online as a direct-to-consumer brand, the company have been slowly rolling out over the past year with an entirely new brand concept inspired by a 70’s colour palette and expressive typestyles.
The company worked together with Koto Studio to create branding that was bright, vibrant, cheery and engaging, in an ever-growing section of the CPG market.
So, let’s get started by looking at the brand-new logo!
Credit to Underconsideration
Logo Redesign
First up we have the redesigned logo which (in our opinion) is a much better look for this brand in particular.
Instead of a logo designed to look like a label, that is reminiscent of an old make of jam or marmalade, the updated typeface helps to bring Meati back to the modern day!
This typeface was none other than ‘Gooper’ which is rounded, softer, friendly and more inviting overall.
This matches up far better with the core values of the company and the new direction they are taking by focusing on positivity and radiating good energy.
Equally, this logo is better linked to the fact that each product is made from the mushroom root, as the roundness of each letter is much like the roundness of the cap of a mushroom.
For both the consumer products and the parent company the logos are slightly different, as for the consumer packaging and marketing the word “eat” is added above the brand name.
Although marked as unneeded by other designers and critics, we think the addition of the word eat above actually creates a nice slope effect to the brand logo. The transitions from the smaller “eat” to the larger “eat” looks quite nice and the different proportions add a little something extra to the consumer logo design.
The word we would use to describe both logo versions is welcoming, as for some reason the lack of capitalisation blended with the rounded lettering makes the brand feel far more inviting compared to the previous design.
Credit to Koto Studio
Icon, Animations, and Colour Palette
Next, we have the icon, animations, and colour palette which are arguably the best part of this rebrand overall.
The icon, or should we say Mo, is an animated cartoon character that represents Mycelium which is the protein taken from the mushroom root and used by Meati to create their products.
The purpose of this icon is to radiate positivity and happiness, two key drivers of the new direction for the Meati brand, and it’s certainly nice that the mascot isn’t just totally random.
Instead, Mo is an extension of the brand and helps to bring the branding to life. There are a few differentiations of the character as Mo is shown in both yellow and orange which adds depth to the mascot, and it helps that either way he doesn’t lose his personality!
When the icon is used in unison with the logo, Mo helps to bring the logo to life. Although the logo alone is solid and inviting, the incorporation of the icon only enhances the personality of the brand.
Equally, the animation of Mo has been executed brilliantly, as his facial expressions change and his entire being moves to reflect his different emotions from cheery, to “bummer”.
Equally, when Mo appears on the screen he appears to grow like funghi would as his roots or what could be considered ‘arms’, flow outwards to create his animated being.
Finally, an element that ties the entire branding together is the colouring used, as Koto decided to use a 70’s style colour palette focusing mainly around yellow and orange. However, additionally in order to amp this up further the agency went with earthy supporting shades of browns, beiges and greens.
Credit to Underconsideration
Product Photography
The colour palette shines through even more in the product photography and the style of each image is an obvious nod to the 70’s overall.
The aim for each product image was to reflect the feeling of sharing good food with loved ones, and the result is very effective. The agency used a diverse range of models for images and created various scenarios from people eating the Meati products to chopping up the plant-based steak or cutlet.
As we mentioned above the colour palette chosen for this rebrand is represented boldly within the product images, including models in brightly coloured clothing, tiled backgrounds in earthy colours, and vibrant tableware.
This imagery is where we really see the 70’s inspiration make a more obvious statement, and we have to say we like it!
Choose to Feel Good: The Meati Rebrand Explored
So, that’s our take on the Meati rebrand!
From the charming new icon that could be considered a brand mascot in his own right, to the overall 70’s design direction, there is a lot about this rebrand that we really love!
As the sustainable and plant-based diet continues to grow in popularity across the globe, more and more brands continue to pop up and engage with this new audience.
Therefore, it can be difficult to stand out and make a mark in this area of the CPG industry and Meati does this well.
The branding creates a sense of positivity before you’ve even bought one of the product, as it is full of personality and joy and makes you feel good about making a good choice. Both for your own health, and the planet!
We think Koto Studio have done a great job at hitting the right marks in terms of creating bold and engaging new branding that breaks into the market.
But again, that’s just our opinion, let us know what you liked, and even what you didn’t about this rebrand via the social links below!
