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Designers: PepsiCo Design & Innovation, PepsiCo., New York, New York, USA
Client: PepsiCo., New York, New York, USA

Mafer is the number one nut and seed brand in Organized Trade Mexico. And it has been for 68 years. Despite this heritage, shifting trends and added competition necessitated us to rethink, redesign and rebrand this icon. Mafer is well known for its superior quality, but this wasn’t reflected in the identity or communications. We needed to elevate the brand itself through a strategy that focused on the brand’s history, popularity and heritage. In short, we needed to develop an iconic device that consumers would immediately associate with the brand.
 
To do this, we looked to the past. Few brands have an iconic story that stands the test of time. Not like the Mafer Elephant, which first showed up in our ads over a decade ago. Folks just love this character. Almost as much as elephants love nutrient dense nuts. All these years later the Elephant continues to be loved and remembered by people. But it wasn’t being used to its full potential.
 
Our solution was to design the Elephant into our identity as an integral part of our brand story. As a visual anchor. This artifact from our history now takes center stage in a new brand identity that’s build through a holistic system of fine, handcrafted details. Quality was our mantra. We paid careful attention to every single element. From the distinctive typography and linework to the colors, effects and finishes of the packaging — we crafted it all and then we took things a step further. We elevated the world of craft and artisanship by blending it with a modern aesthetic. Supported by stunning nature photography shot with natural light and graphic patterns that subtly — almost invisibly — hold the composition in place.
 
The Mafer redesign had a very positive outcome. We achieved improvements in purchase intent, naturalness, and findability, while also connecting with consumers. We shared our new identity across all social media platforms, and the launch itself was underpinned by a brand campaign "Stories Inspired in Mexico." We achieved our objectives and recemented our consumer relevance.