Task

Create naming, branding, packaging, and a complete brand platform from scratch, including mission, slogans, and other elements, for the world’s first biohacker chocolate.

Story

Despite the variety, finding genuine dark chocolate remains a problem. The true taste of chocolate comes from cocoa butter, but cost-cutting in production leads to the addition of other oils, altering the flavor. Moreover, many chocolates contain milk and lecithin. We love chocolate and prefer to make it ourselves.

Our passion for scientific research goes hand in hand with our love for chocolate. We believe food should be as beneficial as possible because if you don’t eat food as medicine, at some point you start eating medicine as food. Our fascination with biohacking and scientific research led us to experiment with making chocolate not only more flavorful but also healthier.

This is how Divino was born. A chocolate that offers maximum enjoyment and self-care in every piece, without compromise.

Naming

When we first tried the chocolate we made at home, all our friends said, “Mmm, akhuenno.” (Note: “akhuenno” is a Russian term indicating the highest degree of excellence but not quite appropriate for formal use). Since we live in the Dominican Republic and wanted a name that would sound good in Spanish, we decided to find a more suitable alternative. Here are some of the alternatives we considered: Awesome (Increíble), Amazing (Asombroso), Fantastic (Fantástico), Exquisite (Exquisito), Heavenly (Celestial), Divine (Divino), Superb (Soberbio), Splendid (Espléndido), Marvelous (Maravilloso), Extraordinary (Extraordinario), Out of this world (Fuera de este mundo), Mind-blowing (Asombroso), Epic (Épico), Phenomenal (Fenomenal). And we chose this name.

We decided to introduce our chocolate to the world. It is a high-quality premium chocolate that we originally created for ourselves. This chocolate is not just delicious, but also beneficial, intended to be consumed as a dietary supplement. We are familiar with neurobiology and understand that pleasure is enhanced when the brain recognizes that this indulgence is also beneficial.

Production costs

Creating premium Divino chocolate requires high quality ingredients and unique technologies, which is reflected in the production costs:

Cocoa butter and cocoa powder: We use only selected cocoa butter with no substitutes, which significantly increases production costs.

Sweeteners: High quality and safe sweeteners, proven over time.

Packaging: Eco-friendly and attractive packaging to match the premium status of the product.

Extracts: We procure the extracts from a trusted Artisan producer who has all the necessary quality certificates.

Goal

Our goal is to create a brand platform and place orders with a factory to produce truly high-quality premium chocolate at affordable prices. We aim to adapt our recipes for industrial production to achieve optimal pricing while maintaining the high quality of our product. We are building a brand to offer collaboration with factories and production partners who share our commitment to premium quality and innovative approaches.

Target audience and market positioning

Our target audiences include discerning individuals who, like us, seek to enjoy flavor and gain benefits without compromise. As a premium product, it should be positioned in the following markets:

1. USA: People who value high-quality and healthy products, especially in major cities.

2. Europe: Consumers in countries with high income levels and a developed culture of premium consumption, such as Germany, France, and Switzerland.

3. Latin America: Particularly countries with a developed gastronomic culture and demand for exclusive products, such as Mexico and Brazil.

4. Asia: The premium segment in countries like Japan and South Korea, where consumers appreciate innovative and healthy products.

Target audience

1. High-level professionals: People with high incomes who value quality and the health benefits of products.

2. Fitness enthusiasts: People who monitor their health and look for healthy alternatives to sweets.

3. Gourmets and connoisseurs of exclusive products: Individuals interested in new flavors and high-quality products.

4. Biohackers: People striving to improve their health and productivity through innovative and natural products.

By highlighting the unique properties of our chocolate, such as high-quality ingredients and beneficial additives, we can attract the attention of this discerning audience.

Of course, we are currently creating a brand concept and are not ready to enter all markets immediately, but to explore the optimal start, we decided to work through target audiences and create personas for testing.

Slogan

In our slogan, we aimed to reflect the combination of delightful taste and health benefits, a scientific approach, and natural ingredients, to show that all these can harmoniously coexist in one product — chocolate. We created several different slogan options in various languages and tested them among virtual target audiences.

In the English-speaking audience, the winning slogan was “Divine taste and self-care in every piece.”. This slogan was deemed the most successful as it succinctly and accurately conveys the main concept of our brand: superior taste and health benefits without compromise.

Other finalists in English included:

1. “Heavenly taste, real results.”

2. “Divine taste, remarkable benefits.”

3. “Natural power, scientific strength, divine taste.”

These options also received high ratings, but the final winner was the first one, as it best encapsulates the core values of our brand: divine taste and self-care in every piece.

Logos

We aimed to create a brand logo and a chocolate logo simultaneously, considering several important criteria.

Brand Logo

1. Small Size: It should be well-readable and recognizable in a small size. This is important so that we can place it on the back of the packaging and use it in other places where a compact logo is required.

2. Versatility: The logo should fit harmoniously into various formats and media, remaining recognizable and consistent with our brand.

Chocolate Logo

Then we developed the chocolate logo. The chocolate logo is a modified version of the brand logo, serving as a base for the illustration that will be supplemented according to the flavors. The idea is to place elements around the name that characterize the specific type of chocolate. Additionally, since all chocolates will have different colors, we initially created a black-and-white image that will be colored.

1. Adaptability: This logo should be easily adaptable to different flavors, allowing us to use it on the packaging of each specific product while maintaining a unified style.

2. Visual Appeal: It should be attractive and aesthetically pleasing to evoke the desire to try our chocolate.

Thus, we aimed to create two logos, each fulfilling its unique functions, yet both logos needed to support a unified brand style and identity.

Cover Template

We aimed to create a cover that is both minimalist and informative. Our goal was to reflect all the key aspects of the product on it. So, we decided that the cover should include:

Back Side Packaging Design

Key elements to consider when designing the back side of the chocolate packaging:

1. Ingredients in multiple languages:

• List the ingredients in several languages (e.g., English, Spanish, French, German, Chinese).

2. Weight indication:

• Clearly state the product’s weight (e.g., 90 g).

3. Barcode:

• Place a barcode for easy scanning and tracking of the product.

4. Manufacturer details:

• Include the company name, address, contact information, website, and social media handles.

5. Nutritional information:

• Provide information on calories, proteins, fats, carbohydrates, sugar, and other nutrients as required by law.

Product Line

After creating the packaging template, we identified the most in-demand options that should be in our initial product line. Using testing on virtual audiences, we determined the color scheme and optimal composition considering the beneficial properties of the extracts and cost-effectiveness.

1. Anti-Age

• Ingredients: Astragalus, turmeric, boswellia, and goji berries.

• Effects: Sweetness of goji berries with light herbal accents of astragalus and turmeric, and a refreshing, slightly earthy aftertaste of boswellia.

• Packaging: Green, emphasizing naturalness and health benefits.

2. Fat-Burner

• Ingredients: Chili, lime, ginger, black pepper, turmeric, and mint.

• Effects: Spiciness of chili and black pepper with the zest of lime and ginger, enhanced by earthy turmeric and refreshing mint.

• Packaging: Red, highlighting active and stimulating properties.

3. Passion Chocolate

• Ingredients: Maca, ginger, horny goat weed, orange peel, and cinnamon.

• Effects: Blend of maca and ginger with earthy notes of horny goat weed, citrusy zest of orange peel, and a hint of warming cinnamon.

• Packaging: Pink, symbolizing passion and arousal.

4. Cognitive Boost

• Ingredients: Ginkgo, cordyceps, lion’s mane, orange peel, and vanilla.

• Effects: Blend of ginkgo and cordyceps, enhanced by the delicate flavor of lion’s mane, citrusy zest, and a hint of sweet vanilla.

• Packaging: Blue, emphasizing cognitive enhancement and mental clarity.

All packaging templates are created in their final form, including descriptions with calorie calculations, recipes, and other necessary information for the front and back surfaces.

Key Visuals Draft

The concepts for key visuals remain in drafts because further work on the project is currently on pause.