Follow Your Heart, a plant-based pioneer, traces its roots back to a small cafe in LA in the 1970s operated by four friends who shared similar philosophies about vegetarian diets and healthy food. Over time, the operation grew from a food bar to a store to prepared foods and then large-scale food production. With nearly 40 percent of Americans actively trying to eat more plant-based foods, Follow Your Heart turned to creative agency Chase Design Group to develop a brand design that reflects the 50-year brand history while providing a distinctive look across an increasingly competitive landscape.
An initial challenge for the project was to create a packaging system that was immediately recognizable, but also flexible enough to be relevant across various product categories from plant-based cheeses to salad dressings. Inspired by the brand’s original hand-drawn labels and its origin story, Chase crafted a new logo featuring typography and a distinctive heart shape that could stand out on shelves at retail. In addition to the logo, Chase created custom illustrations that celebrate the 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,” says senior design director Ilana Addis. Side and back panels are devoted to storytelling – featuring the founders as well as copy that reflects the brand’s personality. Observes Katie Franklin, VP of Product and Marketing, Follow Your Heart: “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.”
