Join Our Team!
Truly Creative is looking for a full-time senior designer, on-site at our office in Petaluma, CA.
Oct
22
Food Trend Friday:
Biltong: Jerky’s South African Cousin Despite the influx of plant-based alternatives,meat snacks are on an upward trend to grow more … Read More
Sep
28
Join Our Team!
We are in search of a junior to mid-level designer for a full-time, on-site position at our office in Petaluma, … Read More
Sep
10
What the FOD!?!
The Low FODMAP Diet has been on our radar since the 2019 Natural Products Expo West tradeshow where we noticed … Read More
Jul
11
Meet Maria!
Our superhero project manager and the latest addition to the Truly family. Not only has Maria managed nationally recognized brands … Read More
Nov
14
We’re Celebrating Our Sweet 16th
Truly Creative Design is going through some big changes. We are truly excited to announce the launch of our new … Read More
Happy 1st Day of Spring! 🌷 As Robin Williams said "Spring is nature`s way of saying, `Let`s party!`". Here`s to flowers blooming, birds singing, and the uplifting feel of new beginnings.
Still working our way through the Expo West gauntlet, but here`s a sneak peak of some of the trends we`re seeing...
💡 Foods that claim to make you smarter, happier, and better looking
🍄 Mushroom products in new formats (mushroom milk, mushroom sparkling water, mushroom coffee…)
🥟 More Asian-inspired products including matcha (flavoring various foods & drinks), dumplings, and boba drinks
💁♀️ Vaginas are having a moment
#packagedesign #expowest #cpgindustry #groceryretail #naturalproductsexpowest #naturalproductsexpo
6 ways to make your backside more appealing
A package’s face panel commands so much attention that brands often miss a big opportunity: the quiet workhorse that is the backside. Add depth to your brand with these 6 tips for harnessing the power of the alternate packaging sides.
👉 1. Tell your story: Build deeper emotional connections with consumers by letting them in on your brand’s story, showing the people behind the brand, and explaining the brand’s heritage or recipe origins.
👉 2. Entertain: It’s been shown that 80% of what we remember is learned through entertainment and only 20% through education, so don’t be afraid to explore your brand’s more amusing side. Consider fun facts, jokes, or witty copy that would resonate with your target audience.
👉 3. Be helpful: Provide cooking tips or recipe ideas to help your consumer have the best experience with your products.
👉 4. Share your values: What does your company do behind the scenes to be a positive contributor to the community and the planet? Share your values, programs, certifications, memberships, or philanthropy contributions. Today’s consumer are increasingly looking to support brands that share their personal values.
👉 5. Advertise: Show consumers what else they can buy from you. Alternate packaging sides are great already-paid-for advertising space.
👉 6. Increase the yum-factor: Whether through images of recipe ideas, side-dish pairings, or ingredient cues, you can never have too much appetite appeal. And, when shelving mishaps happen, you’ll look tasty from every angle.
In addition to optimizing your back and side panels for retail, remember that the exponential rise of online shopping brings increased opportunities to showcase your products with detailed scrolling images. When designing the physical package, think of how those graphics can be leveraged for the digital view. More to come on that topic!
#packagedesign #cpg #cpgindustry #cpgbrands #foodpackaging #foodpackagingdesign #trulycreative #trulycreativepackagedesign
The full before-and-after of our Jovial einkorn flour redesign. Fun fact: einkorn was the first seed planted by the first farmers 12,000 years ago during the Neolithic Revolution.
Which one is the Einkorn Flour?
Trick question—they both are but the one on the right is our redesign for Jovial`s Whole Wheat Einkorn Flour! We spotted the old and new packaging on the shelf together and were pleased to see how much better the new design communicates at retail. The primary goal in this redesign was to make it obvious that this is Einkorn, not your typical flour. The second goal was to convey the advantages of this easy-to-digest ancient grain. Helping consumers see and choose the right products should always be top of mind for food brands. You can find out more about Einkorn @jovialfoods
#trulycreative #packageredesign #packagedesign #cpg
We recently spent a ❤️-warming afternoon crafting Valentine`s Day cards for our Petaluma senior citizens. Every year, the @petalumapeopleservicescenter invites the community to create original, handmade cards to be delivered to our 5,000+ local seniors. The only instructions were to make them cheerful, brightly-colored, and with a nice message. It was fun to see the wide variety of ideas and styles our team came up with. Stepping away from the computer and getting knee-deep in paints, pens, scissors, and glue is really beneficial for creativity and is especially fulfilling when you know it adds up to a lot of smiles for the seniors in our community. We enjoyed every minute of it!
#petalumapeopleservicescenter #happyvalentinesday #valentines #trulycreative #trulycreativedesign #handmade #trulycommunity
The refresh we cooked up for Ling Ling brings unity to their product line, increases brand recognition, and improves shoppability across their wide variety of crowd-pleasing Asian meals, all while still honoring the brand’s rich heritage. Stop by our website (or your local grocer’s freezer) to see the work.
#trulycreative #trulycreativedesign #trulycreativepackaging #packagedesign #packageredesign #packagingdesign #cpg
5/5
Creative Copy
We saw a lot of excellent copywriting at the Winter Fancy Food Show, but our favorite—hands-down—has to go to @missfortunescookies! Their creative, hilarious, and sometimes risqué fortune cookies were a highlight of the show. Like good design, memorable copywriting can infuse brands with a unique personality, get people talking, and serve up smiles
#fancyfoodshow #fancyfoodshow2023 #winterfancyfoodshow #winterfancyfoodshow2023 #vivafancyfood #trulycreative #trulycreativetrends #foodtrends
4/5
Pure Indulgence
While consumers often seek out better-for-you products, the pandemic also sparked a new trend…treating yourself! During the pandemic, people turned to food to break up the monotony of daily life and add some “flavor” to their day. The Winter Fancy Food Show featured a number of delectably indulgent sweet and savory options
#fancyfoodshow #fancyfoodshow2023 #winterfancyfoodshow #winterfancyfoodshow2023 #vivafancyfood #trulycreative #trulycreativetrends #foodtrends
3/5
Zero Proof Alcohol
Alcohol alternatives like Prima Pavé, Three Spirit, and Mixoloshe were drawing huge crowds at the Winter Fancy Food Show! We first noticed the rise in alcohol alternatives back at Expo West last year—consumers seeking sober & healthier alternatives to traditional drinks without feeling like they’re missing out on the fun
#fancyfoodshow #fancyfoodshow2023 #winterfancyfoodshow #winterfancyfoodshow2023 #vivafancyfood #trulycreative #trulycreativetrends #foodtrends
2/5
The Rainbow Effect 🌈
Color maximalism was all the rage at this year`s Winter Fancy Food Show! Bright, bold, and eye-catching—multi-color branding is a visual feast that clearly differentiates flavors in a line while radiating good vibes and positive energy
#fancyfoodshow #fancyfoodshow2023 #winterfancyfoodshow #winterfancyfoodshow2023 #vivafancyfood #trulycreative #trulycreativetrends #foodtrends
We’re excited to share the top trends we saw at last week`s Winter Fancy Food Show in Vegas! Keep an eye on this space all week for our key takeaways.
1/5
Emerging Ingredients
Kelp, Mushrooms, Elote, and Ube
Kelp and mushrooms have been trending in recent years, but we are seeing both ingredients rapidly expanding into new formats. Two other ingredients we predict to be increasingly popular in the near future are “ube” (a yam with a beautiful violet-purple color that has long been a staple in Filipino cuisine) and “elote”—a Mexican corn-on-the-cob street food (typically grilled and seasoned with salt, chili pepper, chipotle, lime, and cheese) has been turned into a flavor profile for savory snack mixes, chips, and nuts
#fancyfoodshow #fancyfoodshow2023 #winterfancyfoodshow #winterfancyfoodshow2023 #vivafancyfood #trulycreative #trulycreativetrends #foodtrends
New office art alert! A plain wall just got a lot more interesting thanks to this wonderful mixed media piece by @ellteeisrealcreative. Laura`s unique style is captivating and the pops of color really liven up this section of the office.
#supportfineart #supportingthearts #trulycreativeoffice #trulycreativedesign
What happens in Vegas doesn`t have to stay in Vegas! ✨ Emma is at the Winter Fancy Food Show sampling new flavors, chatting to other food enthusiasts, and learning about the hottest new trends. We’re excited to share our findings with you in the coming weeks! #fancyfoodshow #fancyfoodshow2023 #winterfancyfoodshow #winterfancyfoodshow2023 #vivafancyfood
A few memorable moments from 2022:
👉 Saw our Farmer Focus logo at The White House as CEO Corwin Heatwole shared his thoughts on reshaping the meat industry with President Biden
👉 Helped our clients at Ling Ling, Jovial, Tribute, and Petite Cuisine bring complete portfolio redesigns into the world
👉 Introduced groundbreaking probiotics brand, SlimBiotics, to the US with a new tradeshow booth for Supply Side West
👉 Welcomed Senior Designer Jasmine Gerber to the team
👉 Embarked on our first overnight company retreat
We’re looking forward to 2023 with hopeful hearts and ambitious minds. Cheers! 🎉
We wish you a wonderful holiday season filled with joy and happiness.🎄☃️ A big Thank You to all of our clients for another amazing year filled with opportunities to push our creativity in new directions. We look forward to singing in the New Year and sharing the design inspirations it brings with it.❄️ Cheers!🥂
#trulycreative
#trulycreativedesign
#happyholidays
#happynewyear
Our redesign for Petite Cuisine`s Mozzarella Sticks are hitting Costco shelves now! Pick up a box, they are the perfect holiday crowd-pleaser!
Picking a Pantone color doesn’t scare us 👻 Happy Halloween from Truly Creative!
Please help us welcome the latest addition to our Truly family, senior designer Jasmine Gerber. Jasmine’s passion for branding and package design began at the Academy of Art where she earned a BA in Graphic Design, and led to the start of her career at the legendary Primo Angeli agency in San Francisco. In the years since then Jasmine worked independently for a variety of CPG brands including Mary’s Gone Crackers and Three Twins Ice Cream. From her experience developing startups into nationwide brands, Jasmine personally knows what it takes at every phase of brand growth and embraces it. Outside of work Jasmine loves sailing and is endlessly inspired by fine art and fashion.
Three things that might surprise you about Jasmine…
🇦🇹 She was born in Austria
⛵️ She lived on a sailboat for 2 years
🧆 She makes an awesome falafel from scratch
Join us in welcoming Jasmine and say hello in the comments below!
We returned today from our company retreat at the top of Mount Tamalpais feeling refreshed and inspired. There’s nothing quite like traveling through the forest and waking up above the clouds. Many thanks to @westpointinn for providing the perfect setting, to our clients for their flexibility while we were away, and to our team members for being up for the trek (especially Maria, who hiked in all the way from Kentucky 😉)
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#companyretreat #mounttamalpais #westpointinnmttam