Bamboo: Taking back the cereal aisle

Deliverables
Brand Strategy
Brand Identity
Messaging & Taglines
Packaging
Apparel
Print

Team
Shawn Scott
Creative & Art Direction
Lead Designer
Aia Arkoncel
Production Designer

Bamboo began with humble roots: making granola by hand in a Brussels apartment kitchen, they hand-stamped and filled bags to sell at the local farmers market. With their rapid expansion into supermarkets across four European countries, one statement has always remained true for Bamboo: “We are so proud of the way we make our granola, in the most authentic and crafty way, sourcing the best quality, natural, and local ingredients.” Founders Charlotte and Lionel of Bamboo Granola, now known as The Bamboo Breakfast Co., have an uncompromising commitment to craft.

This may not sound novel if you’re in the States, where small-batch granola is available at the local cafe and in the neighborhood natural food store's plethora of packaged varieties. Yet, in Europe, the cereal and granola aisle is still dominated by US-based corporate brands. As Charlotte stated, “The cereal shelves in Europe are boring.”

Bamboo quickly caught consumer attention by offering a premium, “good for you” option at a great value. A reputable Belgian-based agency experienced in launching CPG brands built for European supermarkets created the company's original branding and packaging. For Bamboo’s founders, they felt like this aesthetic was too similar to other high-end corporate cereal brands. It was not like the small, premium craft coffee, chocolate, and natural food brands they admired for their genuine, true, and timeless aesthetic.

This is the reason that they sought SSStudio out. “We need to go back to the roots, the beginning of our story, and recreate a real and authentic brand identity.” They had a fond appreciation for our timeless, soulful design. Bamboo is very personal to Charlotte and Lionel. The business starts at the beginning of their story as a young couple. To understand and get down to their real, authentic story, I needed to get to know these two well. While this was necessary to truly understand how to develop the right creative solution for them, there was just one challenge: we were in the middle of a global pandemic and they were 5,500 miles away!

This is where the collaborative process we’ve built, keeping our clients involved every step of the way, proved itself a success. To have a deep understanding of our clients vision, aesthetic, and positioning, we interview and conduct qualitative research, building a foundational level of trust with brands to ensure we “get it”.

Built on Charlotte and Lionel’s heartfelt story, Bamboo shares their love for togetherness through new experiences and dreamy destinations. We wanted to make buying bamboo feel like a little gift to yourself because everyone deserves a morning moment to enjoy a good breakfast. Rather than covering the box with indulgent, hyper-stylized food photography, our packaging design allows the quality of the contents to show through. With its timeless, minimal, and handcrafted aesthetic, bamboo is worth leaving out on the kitchen table.