Hen of the Woods debuts new packaging design for kettle-cooked potato chip line

Company: Hen of the Woods

Introduced: May 2022

Distribution: National

Product Snapshot: Snack company Hen of the Woods is pleased to announce a package redesign for its line of kettle cooked potato chips. Enlisting the talent of long-time branding collaborators and fellow Cincinnatians Holotype, the new look features an eye-catching updated logo, emphasized word marking, and a unique two-tone matte and iridescent metallic layout that reflects Hen of the Woods’ one-of-a-kind flavor offerings. Expect to see the new product packaging jumping off national retailer (and virtual) shelves this month.

“After four years, we wanted to refresh the personality of our brand in the eyes of consumers that mirrors who we are today,” says chief operating officer Brady DeLong. “As a small, family-owned and operated independent snack company, the fresh and refined work that Holotype produced puts us in a different league brand-wise, punching above our weight. There is nothing else like it out there in the salty snacks vernacular.”

Putting emphasis on type and font size and shifting the focus to the name Hen of the Woods, the new look is designed to strengthen on-shelf presence and attract attention in brick-and-mortar stores and on screen. A prism of vibrant, updated colors showcase Hen of the Woods’ unique takes on classic flavor profiles including Red Wine Vinegar, Buttermilk & Chive, Sea Salted, Carolina BBQ, Everything Bagel, and White Cheddar Jalapeño.

“Flavor is king in the snack aisle, so we wanted to lean in hard through full floods of color on pack, and evolve away from the half-white, half-color on the previous packaging,” explains Holotype creative director, Dale Doyle. “The design architecture of the package is very strong, yet allows for new flavors to come into the current family through bold hits of color. The rings have always been a part of this quirky brand, and we thought it would serve as a nice, dynamic backdrop to the illustration of the hen illustration. The metallic finish for the rings does a nice job of catching the light, and the ultimately, the consumers eyes at shelf.”

Hen of the Woods has worked with Holotype for more than four years and has been the instrumental part of not only defining its packaging, but the brand overall.

“Holotype and the people behind it are what I consider to be our secret weapon. They’ve been friends of the brand for years now and the design and strategy they’ve helped us with has taken us from a little hometown favorite to a regional household name and now to a coast-to-coast category competitor. The little Instagram message Dale sent us in 2018 led to one of the best partnerships we’ve ever formed,” recalls DeLong. Continues Doyle, “Holotype is deeply passionate about working with brands and founders that disrupt categories, and the team at Hen of the Woods were born to change the game in the salty snack category. I mean, who puts a hen and rings of a tree on their packaging for a kettle chip brand? They do, and it does a magnificent job stopping the consumer in the aisle to look deeper into why.”

It has been an expansive year for Hen of the Woods. In addition to the punchy rebrand, Hen of the Woods has introduced two new dip flavors—Buffalo Ranch and Chipotle Ranch—to its product offerings. It has also launched Out of the Woods, a collection of initiatives and projects where they partner with community leaders and nonprofits locally, regionally, and nationally to make a difference in people’s lives, with focuses on climate change and sustainability issues and providing small businesses entrepreneurial mentorship and support.

The presenter will cover top-line demographic trends in the category, notable evolutions/shifts in consumer preferences and behaviors, events impacting changes (i.e. pandemic, supply chain, economic shifts, etc.), as well as notable fresh bread product introductions.