CapsuleBlog

Corn + socks = corn socks.

For over a century, Fox River Socks had been a polite little Iowa sock company. Never boasting of its cutting-edge technology or all-American manufacturing. Never bashing the molehills competitors hyped into mountains. However, on the eve of launching its corn fiber socks, Fox River finally felt the need to speak up.

World’s first corn sock. Completely sustainable. Annually renewable. To sock industry geeks, corn fiber technology is revolutionary, earth-shattering stuff. To average consumers, it was still just socks. Albeit, socks with some corn in them.

Capsule’s goal was to launch a product that would first  grab shoppers’ attention, then intrigue them long enough to get educated on the technology’s unique benefits.

Capsule sent Fox River a set of Foundations journals to kick off the process. Two weeks later, Fox River sent back the mother-load. Scattered throughout the journals’ brand history sections, tucked between 50th anniversaries and factory expansions, were mentions of sock monkeys, arctic treks, Olympic games, and space odysseys. Fox River was sitting on gold. Its history was extraordinary, but had gone unsung for over a century. 

We made it clear that Fox River should push the envelope. Fox agreed. Armed with the journals, Capsule created packaging and communications tying the corn sock story into Fox River’s history. Thus, corn socks became more than just a product. Corn socks became a verification of Fox River’s vast, quirky tradition – part of its Midwest personality. A distinct and interesting facet of a remarkable brand story that people from all walks of life could relate to and want to know more about.

Fox River’s corn socks made a big splash at the 2006 Outdoor Retailer show. The campaign not only hauled in loads of international orders, it resurrected interest in the overall Fox River brand. By tying Fox River’s history into the corn socks, audiences who thought they knew everything there was to know gave
Fox River a second look.

Corn sock buzz was so overwhelming that within a matter of months, Fox River moved a large portion of its brand work to Capsule. All design and messaging at all levels: packaging, catalog, promotions, and advertising.

“Capsule could not have come at a more perfect time for our company. They infused energy, amusement and passion right when we needed it. And they even provided a participant in the fashion show. How could we not be loyal to such a great firm?”

-Jeff Lessard, Kernel of Socks
FoxRiver Mills

HealthSource Solutions

Minneapolis-based HealthSource Solutions is a company that truly does great things, helping organizations of all types strengthen employee health and well-being. Through seminars, education, fun programs and other health-based initiatives, employees lose pounds, quit smoking and make other hugely important lifestyle changes. This means the organization itself benefits through improved job satisfaction, decreases absences, better productivity... the list is endless.

Capsule was more than happy to create a new identity for HealthSource Solutions following its split from Park Nicollet. A thorough understanding of the brand lead our Art Director Greg Brose to explore ideas around action, harmony and balance.



Greg then designed an entirely new website building on this look and feel. Here's a snapshot of the previous site, with Park Nicollet's trademark purple. (Click image to enlarge)

And the new site (developed by our talented friends at Reside) with a soothing color palette, bright and contemporary imagery and strong messaging. (Click image to enlarge)

Word from a Fritzie Fresh fan

Packaging candy and baking nuts was how the Fritz Company got started, and over the past 60 years it has built a business known for the highest quality candy and nuts in a bag. While this was apparent to those local shoppers who knew this friendly company in Newport, Minnesota, the rest of the world didn’t know and couldn’t tell by the package.

When the next generation of the Fritz family took over the business it set the objective of becoming national with a brand that had the potential to mean something more than commodity-bagged candy and baking nuts. Capsule was given the charge of identifying what was unique about the Fritzie Fresh brand and how it could come to life through packaging and all other communications.

The brand strategy was then brought to life in a new package design and simple refinements to its identity. The resulting package brought the Fritzie Fresh promise into tangible form and created something the entire staff could rally around as the new, reborn Fritzie Fresh.

We were told of a note from a delighted Fritzie Fresh fan the other day in praise of the design, and I just had to share it.

To The Obviously Bright and Creative People at the Fritzie Fresh Company: Thank you very much for designing such a wonderful package! I quickly grabbed the only brand of brazil nuts offered at my grocery store, as I was in a hurry. I got home and was/am absolutely delighted with your package! I didn't need to eat them! Hey, I just want to save the package at this point. Of course, I ate the brazils in a few sittings and they're very good I might add. Yet, this package made my day!! I can't say enough about how encouraging & uplifting it is to know that a company is so willing to share such a wonderful message and set of beliefs with the public - especially in this economy. I am so impressed that I am going to mail treats to all my nieces, nephews, sisters et al. (and I come from a very large family). I just love the well-wishes on this package and I thank you for the ton(-s) of creativity that went into this packaging.

Thank you.

I wish you well in the success of your business, as I am sure you will have many healthy financial years ahead.

Bear with me while I go cheesy for a second... it really is fantastic to hear that Capsule's work made someone's day.

Double Cross Vodka to see national rollout

Seeing our stuff mentioned in prestigious places never gets old. The excellent brandweek.com just featured our design for Double Cross Vodka which is about to be poured around the country after much success in New York and New Jersey.

From the article -

How it was created: The idea was create first, calculate later. “Most clients come to us with a budget,” Adducci said. “They wanted an iconic design, so we had complete freedom. ‘Don’t even think of the cost—we’ll reel you back in,’ they said. It was a great way to create a brand personality.”

Results: The square bottle will roll out nationally. “Look at the Coke bottle and the Absolut bottle,” Wilson said. “We feel the pose our bottle strikes on shelf will become iconic over time.”

Capsule wins!

File this in the Shameless Self-Promotion category, please!

Capsule won several awards at the recent AIGA MN Design Show. Our Duet Series invitation won:

As did our Design Matters: Packaging book, the Double Cross Vodka Bottle, Simple Seed packaging.

Milkweed Editions

Milkweed Editions is a Minnesotan independent, literary non-profit publisher. They produce wonderful works of literature and truly take pride in the traditional craft of publishing. With the publishing industry focused primarily on the bottom line, truly independent book publishers have never been more essential.

To amplify the difference great books make in the world, Milkweed goes beyond publishing to develop audiences through outreach programs. Milkweed publishes with the intention of making a humane impact on society, in the belief that good writing can transform the human heart and spirit. Milkweed publishes in four areas: fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and children’s literature.

Their name comes from the plant otherwise known as Asclepias  - an important nectar source for bees, and also a plant that plays a crucial role in the survival of the monarch butterfly. What a perfect metaphor for transformative literature.

When Milkweed approached us looking for a new identity, Capsule gladly took on the challenge. The aim was to create an identity with more impact and a unified image for the press.

Here's the original Milkweed mark:

There's certainly nothing wrong with it - it's very refined and classic in style, but could perhaps do with a little added personality.

---

The result of the Capsule redesign process:

 
The type has been modernized, and the mark itself has a hand-drawn feel to reflect Milkweed's traditional approach to their craft. It's vibrant yet simple.

Our Senior Designer, Michelle Hyster, also chose a complete palette that Milkweed can apply to certain genres. While the pale blue (above) is the general/ master mark, the environmental mark uses an olive green, and the children's literature a bright cranberry.

(Environmental publications)

(Children's literature)

Mark redesign

Sauntering through Spain. Dancing ‘til dawn in Denmark. Consolidating over coffee in Cleveland. Over the past several years, changes in the travel industry, including the emergence of new technologies, have created more choices than ever before for travelers. 

Newly minted Travel Leaders, once part of the renowned Carlson Wagonlit Travel and larger partner, Carlson, turned to us to create a corporate identity that sets them apart in this growing industry. 

With the guidance of Carlson Wagonlit Travel and the insights of the brand managers at Travel Leaders, Capsule created a powerful new identity, one that enforces Travel Leaders’ strengths and appeals to both its franchisees and clients.  The new mark is an integral part in their extensive rebranding process. 

Lynn Clark, (Brand Marketing Director) at Travel Leaders said, “We hired Capsule after a national search for a brand identity design firm. Our reason for hiring them was centered on their design capabilities, but what we also found valuable was their sage advice at the right moments in the process. The results were extraordinary. Our franchisees adopted the new identity with the same passion and energy we collectively put into designing it. The Capsule team captured the essence of our business and brought it to life in a way that connects with our customers and franchisees.”

 “By recognizing how the travel industry is changing and what products and services are likely to capture the most value in the future, travel firms are moving beyond simply reacting to change. Rather, more and more firms are joining forces to create the next generation of innovative and profitable travel solutions,” said creative partner, Brian Adducci. 

“Clients work with Capsule because we bring new ideas and intelligent solutions to the table. From naming and identity development to product development and packaging, clients leverage our creative process to get results. Working closely with Carlson Wagonlit Travel and Travel Leaders allowed us to enhance our client’s situation through smart design. It was an honor to help strengthen such an industry giant like Travel Leaders.”

More horn tootin'!

Everyone needs their ego stroked sometimes, right?

Coming straight after a post about the award-winning Double Cross bottle, we're also proud to showcase the work we did with Gray Plant Mooty, Minnesota's premier law firm.

We updated their logo mark, moving towards a more contemporary color palette while retaining the strength and simplicity of the original bar design. The type also became modernized via removal of the serifs.

Old:

                         

Refreshed:

   

A beautiful improvement, we hope you'll agree.

Once our designers created the new logo, the rest of the system followed. You can see for yourself how sleek GPM appears now, on its newly launched site: Gray Plant Mooty.

Tootin' our own horn

We're pretty proud of one of our latest projects - our designers created a stunning bottle for Double Cross, a new luxury vodka produced in the Slovak Republic and imported by Old Nassau Imports of NY.

And it's gorgeous, if we do say so ourselves!

Clean minimalism at its best, the packaging design is simple, striking, and evocative. Reminiscent of the contents within, the bottle design is a testament of luxury. Precisely engineered to capture the heritage of the product itself, the rectangular packaging boasts a seamless design and is teeming with artistic elements including verses of old-world Slovakian poetry silk-screened on the back.

“The best design feels as though it has been discovered. It exudes a sense of prestige all its own,” says Brian Adducci, our creative partner. “Creating a high-end, unique package is paramount when introducing a new product to the marketplace. We were charged with matching the quality product with an engaging package design.”

Even before launching, Double Cross Luxury Vodka won a “gold medal in taste” and a “gold medal in packaging” from the 2008 San Francisco World Spirits Competition. This signifies the integrity of the spirit and the ability for it to stand out among the leading contenders.

Check out a video of the gorgeousness here.

Book Launch Party a SMASH

The September 12th "Books + Booze" book launch celebration was a huge success. The food, refreshments and venue were excellent, but the attendees are what really made the party a smash. Capsule was thrilled to celebrate Design Matters//Logos 01 with so many great friends and colleagues. Pictures serve as evidence that fun was had by all. Take a minute and enjoy the photos. Photo Album.