The client had already pre-determined the name Slatherin’ Sauce to help differentiate it amongst the glut of barbecue sauces already on the market. Our job was to help position the product and give it a unique visual identity.

Strategy

It was clear from the beginning that Slatherin’ Sauce is a truly unique sauce. It’s sweet, spicy and sticky. It doesn’t drip off meat while you’re grilling. It caramelizes into delicious tomatoey chunks. It’s all-natural, gluten-free and contains no preservatives. What stood out most in our research is that it transforms boring food such as plain chicken or meatloaf into something extraordinary. This lead us to position Slatherin’ Sauce as “The Cure for Boring Food.” Our brainstorming then lead us to find the perfect inspiration for the design in vintage cure-alls, elixirs and apothecary jars.

Results

Less than a year after the first bottle came off the production line, Slatherin’ Sauce has seen rapid success. We expected it to have huge success in its home state of South Carolina, which it has, but the interest from customers in the Northeast and Vancouver has been a pleasant surprise. When Slather Brand Foods submitted their application to join the National Association for the Specialty Food Trade, every judge on the panel gave the package design with the highest possible rating. The package was also displayed at Direktorenhaus, a design and illustration exhibit space in Berlin, in the “Don’t Label Me” show featuring the best in packaging from around the world.