The London agency reveal how they developed the visual identity of Trulli Ulivi, a new brand of high-quality Italian olive oil.
If you know anything about food, you’ll understand that, like wine, not all olive oils are created equally. In particular, olive oils from Puglia, a southern region forming the heel of Italy’s boot, stand out for their unique character.
The hot summers, cool winters, and salty breezes of the Mediterranean Sea give olives grown there a distinct flavour profile, with the different soil compositions in the region adding complexity to the final product. And this is enhanced by the traditional methods often used by producers, whose focus on time-tested practices passed down the generations helps to preserve the high quality and delicate flavours of their oils.
To help sell this superior quality visually, artisanal Pugliese producer Trulli Ulivi has been working with London-based creative agency Here to create branding and packaging for a capsule collection of luxury pantry ingredients.
The brand is now launching with a flagship extra-virgin olive oil, which encapsulates the producer’s commitment to its home city of Ostuni through every aspect of its production and design.
The brief
For founders Maureen and Tony Papas, who previously led coffee brand Allpress Espresso in Australia and the UK, quality produce is as much an expression of sustainable land management and responsible farming practices as terroir. Trulli Ulivi was established to support the surrounding landscape, community, and industry through seasonal cycles of cultivation and harvest.
Consequently, they briefed Here to create a brand identity that would clearly communicate this connection between product and place while offering a fresh perspective on Puglia’s ancient traditions.
Almost two years in development, Here’s work encompasses strategy, naming, branding, packaging, tone of voice and art direction. The project also includes website design and storytelling for social platforms.
Graphic elements
In terms of positioning, the agency took inspiration from natural wine, which emphasises agricultural variables such as climate, soil type, production methods, and crop variety. The identity also draws upon broader regional influences of craft and culture, such as architecture and lettering.
The visual identity offers a fresh, bold, and modern reappraisal of the region. The wordmark references the street lettering of Ostuni, connecting the brand inherently to place. Alongside the wordmark, the visual identity contains a set of geometric symbols inspired by the architecture of local ‘trulli’—the signature conical stone huts of Puglia that informed the brand name.
Some say these decorative pinnacles represent the signature of the stonemason, while others claim they offer spiritual protection. But for Trulli Ulivi, they represent the essence of place — a pure distillation of Puglia, past and present.
The colour palette also takes inspiration from the vernacular architecture of the region with three warm greys representing traditional dry stone building materials (limestone, chalk and lime mortar). These are accompanied by a vivid chartreuse that emulates the vibrancy of fresh olive oil, whilst adding a contemporary accent.
Video content
To bring the Trulli Ulivi brand to life, Here art directed a shoot on site at Masseria Borzone, where the olives are grown, capturing the land, conversations and seasonal products. The content gives followers an insight into life in Puglia whilst inviting people to connect around the table and celebrate a product rooted in process and place.
Crafted storytelling follows the harvest year across all platforms, highlighting seasonality in the context of a year-round, long-term commitment to the region.
“Trulli Ulivi brings a fresh perspective to an ancient region and puts local products on an international stage,” says Chloe Schneider, strategy associate at Here. “Olive oil is something we think we know, an accessible constant on our shelves. But in fact, real high-quality Italian extra virgin olive oil is nothing like this.
“It is seasonal, distinctive and complex. It is green and fresh with many varied health benefits. Like wine, it depends on locality, terroir, olive varieties, cultivation, pressing process, and other factors. Our storytelling follows the year in Puglia across all platforms. A story of place, the seasons, the people and the process of making the olive oil. This influenced everything from the name, visual identity, tone of voice, imagery and digital design.”
From the producer’s first harvest, the limited–edition bottles will initially be sold online, with plans to expand distribution in stores and restaurants starting in 2025.
