Hungry Beast, a brand ready to take on the stigma that healthy food is only for a certain demographic has branding that is set to strike that stigma down.
The brand began with a concept: have a café where people could come together for delicious and healthy food in a straightforward way.
“The idea was to create a space that did not feel like it was catering to a specific consumer, but to everyone,” says Rafael Prieto, creative director at SAVVY Studio, the branding and architecture design practice that worked with Hungry Beast. “Just as healthy foods should be.”
Inspiration behind branding and packaging
The inspiration for Hungry Beast’s branding came from American artist John Baldessari’s Connecting Dots and Gemini Series. The abstract impersonal style was applied to the packaging through the use of bold color swatches and line work, Prieto says.
There is use of abstract forms through the packaging, from the juices to the menus. This design allows the imagery to come together nicely. The goal is that the abstractness of it all identifies the branding as solely, Hungry Beast, without assigning it a logo.
“It’s not design for design’s sake,” comments Prieto. “There is always a concept.”
Working through obstacles
Although the design was easy to accomplish, the greatest challenge for SAVVY was the use of such a small space in Hungry Beast’s restaurant.
“We wanted the space to feel as pure as possible, with the bold branding to fill the space,” Prieto continues. “We used pure materials, from natural woods to concrete walls and the metal structure at the entrance that is used to house plants. We wanted something that felt genuine and authentic.”
All of the visual elements from the clean crisp lines to the strong wood panels and the textured concrete were to create an atmosphere of warmth and approachability.
Making the brand experience matter
The CEO and co-founder of Hungry Beast Barbara Arredondo Ayala says the customers love the branding and she wants the experience to invite customers to rethink what healthy truly means.
“We came up with the name Hungry Beast because we found ourselves not connecting with the whole ‘Veg Mamma, Happy Earth, Paradise Glow, Buddha shine’ vibes,” she continues. “We want our customers not only to have a unique food experience, but to know they are being taken care of since we don’t fry any of our dishes and our whole concept is gluten free and organic protein.”
Ayala is pleased with the great reaction Hungry Beast is getting from customers, not only from its food but its branding.
“It’s amazing how they walk in our store out of curiosity because of our iconic shapes or name,” she says. “I think it also speaks to how people are craving for fresh and unique experiences. I am always surprised by how they connect with our core message.”
Ayala says that she even hears customers joking about how they are on ‘Beast Mode’ or those who have children call their babies ‘baby beasts,’ adding to the brand experience.
“As 21st Century beasts, today we have enough information in our hands as to how we can biohack our body through delicious food but also while creating an eye candy experience for all,” she continues. “Sometimes we take for granted how powerful we are, both in spirit and with our bodies, so being a ‘beast’ is about reclaiming that power and learning how to make smart decisions for our health.”