Follow Your Heart

Design: Chase Design Group
Location: United States
Project Type: Produced
Client: Follow Your Heart
Product Launch Location: United States
Packaging Contents: Plant-based products
Packaging Substrate / Materials: Glass bottle

Follow Your Heart, the plant-based pioneer, traces its roots back to a small café in LA in the 1970s operated by four friends who shared similar philosophies about vegetarian diets and healthy food. Over time, the operation grew organically from a food bar to a store to prepared foods and then large-scale food production. The first product on grocery store shelves was Vegenaise®, the first vegan mayonnaise alternative.

With nearly 40 percent of Americans actively trying to eat more plant-based foods, according to Nielsen, the drive toward plant-based lifestyles is here to stay. Follow Your Heart has partnered with creative agency, Chase Design Group, to develop a brand design that reflects the rich 50-year brand history while providing a distinctive look across the increasingly competitive landscape.

“To prepare for our bright future, we’re celebrating this 50-year milestone by launching a total brand refresh which will support us in meeting the unprecedented demand for plant-based foods,” said Bob Goldberg, CEO and co-founder, Follow Your Heart. Last week, Follow Your Heart announced that they have agreed to join Danone’s family of plant-based brands to further their commitment of bringing delicious, plant-based offerings to even more consumers.

An initial challenge for the project was to create a packaging system that was immediately recognizable, but also flexible enough to be relevant across the various product categories from plant-based cheeses to salad dressings.

Inspired by the brand’s historic packaging and origin story, Chase crafted a new logo with inspiration from Follow Your Heart’s original, hand-drawn labels. The bold typography and distinctive heart shape stand out on shelves at retail. In addition to the new logo, Chase created custom illustrations that celebrate the brand’s founders and Southern California roots. “The scenic illustration, logo and amplified teal brand color create strong brand recognition while the bottom half of each label allows great flexibility for variants and category code colors,” said Ilana Addis, senior design director, Chase Design Group.

Chase’s commitment to craft and storytelling is visible on the side and back panels of the new packaging. The founders (often thematically dressed) are featured along with copy that expresses Follow Your Heart’s unique personality.

“Inspired by our historic menu and packaging, Chase fully embraced our heritage, and this updated logo and design gives a nod to our original hand-drawn look from the ’70s in a modern, classic way,” said Katie Franklin, VP of Product and Marketing, Follow Your Heart. “Our fresh, new brand identity incorporates our authenticity, and it will stand out on retail shelves with the flexibility to extend it across all other channels including advertising and social media.”