The right choice

"We are grateful for the conceptual work and the fresh ideas, the passionate discussions, the enjoyable cooperation and the professionalism with which we implemented the Appel design relaunch together. HAJOK was the right choice for us.” – Marieke Gödeker, team lead Marketing at Appel Feinkost

Listen

More than 140 years ago, Heinrich Wilhelm Appel sold the first pickled herring fillets in his grocery store in Hanover, northern Germany. Today, Appel, with its headquarters in the coastal town of Cuxhaven, is one of the most traditional fish and delicatessen brands in Germany. The eye-catching logo and the striking blue colour guarantee brand recognition. However, the time had come to modernise pack appearance and bring it up to date with the changing needs of the target group. Appel commissioned us as a packaging design agency with the relaunch of over 50 products.

Understand

At first glance of the overall portfolio, we noticed that the tonality of the brand was inconsistent, product range differentiation was not bold enough and the designs also looked very complex. In addition, the high quality of the Appel brand was barely visible and the product presentation no longer generated any contemporary appetite appeal. We recommended more clarity, more authenticity and more enjoyment! To rejuvenate the brand and strengthen shelf impact, we made use of modern typography, high-contrast colours and naturally staged food images.

Create

The famous Appel trademark, a lobster with big claws, was designed by the artist Änne Koken back in 1905. This timeless logo still works today. We decided to simply remove the reflections giving it clarity and a more modern look. The colour effect of the new packaging design is darker overall and underlines the quality of the products. The curved line ensures brand recognition and separates the on-pack information area from the serving suggestion. This contemporary top view has natural appetite appeal. The clear structure and modern typography help establish differentiation across the overall portfolio. Nordic, modern and eye-catching – Appel has a new look!

Facts & Figures

German Brand Award for "Excellence in Brand Strategy and Creation"
Design relaunch of more than 50 products
Competitor- & design analysis
Category codes analysis
Concept development
Brand strategy consulting
Packaging design food
Logo adjustment
Tray design
Advertisement design
Photo shooting
Image editing
Final artwork

More enjoyment

Lots of appetite appeal – that was one of the goals of our packaging design strategy, and we succeeded with some really tasty food shots.

Food Photography for the Appel by HAJOK Design

Hajok developed a quality seal as part of the Appel packaging design

Food photography for Appel's canned fish portfolio by HAJOK

Tender on the inside, yummy on the outside!

Not only has the can shape changed, the new packaging design has a great deal of appetite appeal and is much less cluttered than its predecessor.

Appel packaging design before and after the relaunch by HAJOK

A job well done

In addition to our design expertise, our copywriting skills came to the fore with this project as we developed an advertisement promoting the new packaging design.