Catching consumers: Appel Feinkost modernizes brand identity with fish tin redesign

16 Jul 2021 --- A premium appeal and a modern design go “hand-in-hand” for Appel Feinkost’s latest seafood can redesign. 

With aims of ramping up “lacking uniform visual presence” and “contemporary appetite appeal,” the seafood delicatessen company commissioned Germany-based brand agency Hajok Design to design the relaunch of over 50 company products. 

Speaking with PackagingInsights, Hajok’s design director Jannika Plaas and senior consultant Alessia Penserini reveal how the agency walked the design tightrope of visually revitalizing Appel’s long-standing identity without compromising on brand recognition.

“In the last few years, canned fish enjoyed increasing popularity and is experiencing a new value. Designs are becoming more sophisticated and bolder,” says Plaas.

To keep pace, Hajok was briefed to communicate the brand’s high-quality standards on-pack while giving the product line-up a contemporary look.

Appel Feinkost was founded 140 years ago, with its lobster trademark design by artist Änne Koken in 1905. 

Hajok fixed more than 50 products from the fish and delicatessen Appel brand with a modernized look.Keeping the basics, changing the details
The Hajok design team prioritized a clear visual structure to generate stronger differentiation between tinned fish varieties. 

“We kept the existing elements – brand logo, general architecture, ‘swoosh’ and overall color feeling – but re-interpreted them in a more contemporary way by focusing on modern simplicity and clarity,” Penserini explains.

“Therefore, we separated the pack into an informative part and emotional food section using plain colors and clear, modern font types. The food shot – the key element of the design – also still feels familiar at first sight but is aligned to a contemporary food aesthetic and visual language.” 

Moreover, clearly depicting nutrient claims on front-of-pack, such as “rich in omega 3 fatty acids” increases the products’ value perception.

Dark on light
Choosing an overall darker background color strengthens Appel’s long heritage, Penserini continues, which had “gotten a bit lost” over the past years.

The impression, however, comes mainly from the food shots, which Plaas adds have been staged with a “great deal of detail and care.” 

“The bright fish stands out perfectly on the dark plate and the dark background. Together with the sauce, which is an extremely important factor at Appel, this displays a very appetizing unit.” 

Instagram-esk pictures of Appel’s seafood products displayed from a bird’s-eye-view on-pack make the products appear more appetizing.Evolving fish can designs
The pandemic initially pushed up sales for canned food products. “Suddenly, people are buying sardines not just because they find them tasty or they remind them of their last holiday, but because they find the pack aesthetically pleasing,” says Plaas. 

Dongwon Industries, for example, unveiled a limited-edition set of tuna fish cans last year, boasting vibrant “around-the-globe” packaging illustrations designed to entice international consumers.

“More and more manufacturers are now selling expensive high-end and beautifully designed canned products. Canned fish also has a lot of potential in terms of sustainability. It can be stacked easily and does not need to be refrigerated, which saves enormous energy costs.” 

PackagingInsights spoke with Hajok Design last year following a special edition packaging design for German jam brand Garten Freund by Schwartau.

By Anni Schleicher