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Pouch graphics put an end to ‘sad snacking’

New popped lotus seed snack gets packaging graphics that epitomize the fun of healthy snacking, with bold illustrations, bright colors, and brand mark typography that has a ‘cheeky bounce.’

Hopapops Sweet Heat
Hopapops Sweet Heat

Eating healthy doesn’t have to be about “sad snacking.” That’s according to Angela Spindler, founder and Creative Director of Australian firm Depot Creative, which last year created playful, vibrant, and bold branding and packaging for the new Hopapops line of popped lotus seeds. The new-to-the-U.S.-market plant-based product from WaterFox Foods Inc. of Springfield, MO, is similar to popcorn in size and taste, but is packed with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.

WaterFox was established in 2018 by food industry entrepreneurs who saw an opportunity within the growing healthy snack market to bring a long-time staple of the Indian and Asian diet—the seed of the lotus flower—to a new market. In doing so, they wanted to create a brand that expressed their nutritional credentials and epitomized the fun side of healthy snacking. “They wanted to deliver a product bursting with flavor in a new and exciting way to all those seeking a tasty, healthy alternative,” says Spindler.

The first job for Depot Creative was to come up with a name that would create excitement and interest around the product—“a name that alluded to its process and expressed its benefits but was also abstract, giving it a freshness and individuality,” explains Spindler. “With that, Hopapops came about. We captured the energy and protein boost—snacking to put a spring in your step. Combined with the process—the seeds are gently roasted until they pop.”

Graphics for the Hopapops snack pouch were informed by previous research done by Depot Creative that showed that, as the healthy snack category has grown, product options have become more confusing to consumers due to unclear messaging or unstructured pack architectures. Or, quite simply, Spindler says, the packages have little to no visual appeal.

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