Branding and packaging design for Koutu Olive Oil

Koutu is a new premium olive oil brand born from a passion for the Hokianga area. The founders have a grassroots approach with an ambition to grow.
There’s a conservational angle to this brand too. By establishing an olive grove, they help protect the area against bottom erosion and therefore, in a sense, giving back to the community.

Our challenge was to stand out, be fresh and still be instantly recognisable as olive oil. The brand identity is based on the locality of the olive grove. Hokianga is a beautiful natural area in the North of New Zealand. With a perfect climate for Olive trees to grow topped with unique geological features; the Koutu boulders. Almost perfectly spherical boulders that poke out of the water. The logo refers to both the olive and the boulders. The colourful visual language is derived from the tones of the earth, the olives themselves and the Hokianga area. The typeface is powerful but its shapes clearly related to olives and olive oil.