NOSH THIS CHOCOLATES | BRANDING CASE STUDy

"Want to try some chocolate?" says a tall guy behind a pint of beer and a pile of chocolate samples at a networking event in San Francisco. I try a piece of what he's calling Bacon Crack. It was delicious! Just the right balance of dark chocolate richness and salty bacon savoriness. And that was the humble beginning of our beautiful friendship.

Kai Kronfield was an architect who was forced to switch gears as a result of the job market. He decided to follow his passion: chocolate. I was also experiencing a career-pivoting situation, so we took a gamble on each other.

Kai takes great pride in the quality of his ingredients, his craft, and the satisfaction of his customers. The identity of Nosh This had to reflect all of this. We were branding artisanal, gourmet chocolates, that were not about being pretentious: they were about taste and honesty.

The MVPs were Bacon Crack, Balsamic Vinegar Slated Caramels, Salt and Pepper Caramels, and Meyer Lemon Slated Caramels. In true renegade fashion, Kai started selling these as a one-man pop-up shop on the streets of San Francisco.

Our inspiration came from vintage hand-made shop signs, beautifully-designed spirits labels, and woodcuts. The goal was to create something that communicated hand-crafted quality, but was "not too fancy".

In 2014 Almond Crack won the Good Food Award, and Honey Walnut Fleur de Sel was a finalist. In 2016 Lavender Crack won the award as well. Retail relationships have expanded exponentially. Bacon Crack remains the most popular flavor.

Creating the logo was a fun collaboration with Kai. He had a great gut sense for what felt right for his emerging brand. We tried out many options, but ultimately, the woodcut-inspired “stamp” won. It was the right combination of simple and imperfectly perfect.