5 innovative food and drink brands that caught our eye in September

From plant-based ice cream to sustainable chewing gum, these forward-thinking branding projects are reshaping the food and beverage landscape across the world.

It’s not something we often think about, but we in the West have an almost insane amount of choice regarding the food and drink we buy. There’s nothing wrong with that, of course: as famed cookbook author Anna Thomas once said: “We all eat, and it would be a sad waste of opportunity to eat badly.”

Or, as Mark Twain more succinctly wrote: “The secret of success in life is to eat what you like and let the food fight it out inside.”

But while the huge expansion of the range and quality of food we enjoy is great for consumers, it does present a challenge for food and drink brands, who are constantly struggling to stand out on crowded shelves.

Necessity, though, is the mother of invention. As a result, food and drink branding is one of the most dynamic areas for creative inspiration, with brands constantly leveraging bold design choices, eco-conscious packaging, and innovative visual storytelling to connect with their audience on a deeper level.

With that in mind, we’ve picked five of the best new branding projects for September to inspire your own projects. From Helsinki to London, these five standout branding projects showcase the power of thoughtful design.

From bold colour palettes to eco-conscious packaging, these five standout branding projects showcase how creative design can transform food brands into visual experiences that connect with consumers on a deeper level.

1. Friidu Ice Cream by Kuudes

Location: Helsinki, Finland

Friidu is a vegan-friendly Finnish ice cream brand made from fava beans. While the texture is smooth and creamy consistency, as you’d expect from ice cream, the taste is slightly earthy and nutty, making for a surprising yet enjoyable eating experience.

This unique product stands out on the shelves thanks to a vibrant and bold visual identity created in-house. The branding centres around the concept of independence and playfulness, with each of the seven flavours, such as Chocolate on Chocolate and Salty Liquorice & Creamy Lemon, represented by a distinct and sassy character.

A key design element is the terracotta-coloured tubs, inspired by the traditional clay pots used for plant growth. This reinforces the product’s plant-based nature. The colour palette, meanwhile, integrates warm earth tones with pops of vibrant hues that differentiate each flavour while maintaining the brand’s cohesive look.

The typography, in turn, is bold and playful, using friendly sans-serif fonts that keep the design approachable while still feeling premium. Overall, the visual language reflects the brand’s ethos: fun, free, and rooted in nature.

2. Twinings Sparkling Tea by Magpie Studio

Location: London, UK

When the days are cold and short, there’s nothing better than a steaming hot cup of tea. But in the long summer evenings, you might fancy something different. Hence, Twinings, a British brand with over 300 years of heritage, has come up with Sparkling Tea: a blend of sparkling water, fruit juices, tea, herbal infusions and essential vitamins.

To create packaging for this new range, they turned to Magpie Studio. The goal was to balance Twinings’ long-standing legacy with a fresh, modern aesthetic that would appeal to a new generation of tea drinkers in the competitive ready-to-drink category.

The design features vibrant, bold colours like citrusy yellows and cool greens, creating a standout look in the chiller aisle. The clean, sans-serif typography signals both health and refreshment, while the subtle bubble motifs on the cans reference the sparkling, effervescent nature of the tea.

The packaging uses simplified illustrations to convey flavours quickly, ensuring the product’s accessibility for on-the-go consumers. Magpie Studio’s design captures the complexity of Twinings’ blends in a simple yet modern format, blending tradition with innovation to appeal to both loyal and new customers.

3. Forest Gum by Jens Nilsson

Location: Germany

Made near the Black Forest region of Germany, Forest Gum is a vegan and plant-based chewing gum brand that sets itself apart by using tree sap instead of synthetic plastics. This offers a sustainable alternative in a traditionally wasteful industry. Jens Nilsson has been behind the brand’s visual identity since 2019, crafting a cohesive and fresh design language that speaks directly to eco-conscious consumers.

The colour palette is dominated by natural, earthy tones, reflecting the product’s plant-based origins. Greens, browns, and soft whites evoke the natural world, tying the packaging back to the gum’s sustainable source.

Typography complements this approach. Tusker Pro by East of Rome adds a bold yet clean look that feels modern and approachable. Paired with Athletics by Family Type, the font choice reinforces the brand’s active, forward-thinking vibe.

The design also incorporates playful and minimalistic icons highlighting the brand’s values while maintaining a sleek, clean aesthetic. The packaging, meanwhile, emphasises simplicity and sustainability, using eco-friendly materials that align with the brand’s mission to reduce waste.

Today, Forest Gum is available in over 2,500 stores across Germany, and the brand’s visual identity has played a key role in its success, consistently communicating its eco-friendly ethos through every design element.

4. Havana Club RTD by JDO

Location: Global

Havana Club needs no introduction: it’s the world’s leading premium dark rum brand. But more recently, it has redefined its Ready-to-Drink (RTD) range with a bold and vibrant new design by JDO.
This updated look captures the ‘Spirit of Cuba’, blending rich cultural energy with its reputation for quality. As Havana Club expands its RTD offerings globally, this new design architecture ensures a cohesive brand experience across markets while retaining the brand’s unique Cuban flair.

JDO has developed a vibrant colour system to unify the range. Subtle graphical elements such as palm leaves and layered hues evoke the rich cocktail recipes and the brand’s dynamic personality. The enhanced logo is now bolder, ensuring instant brand recognition, while integrated, cleaner fonts make the product’s cocktail variety clear and accessible to consumers.

This new approach is helping to elevate the brand’s presence on shelves globally and setting the stage for future expansion in markets like Germany.

5. Wholy Greens by Control Studio

Location: Amsterdam, Netherlands

Based in the Netherlands, Wholy Greens is a forward-thinking food production company that seeks to transform how people view and enjoy vegetables, promoting a shift from “having to eat veggies” to genuinely “loving to eat veggies.” They also pride themselves on using varieties that are underutilised, allowing farmers to improve food biodiversity.

Control Studio’s creative direction positions Wholy Greens as a fun, vibrant, and health-conscious brand that connects consumers with nature and sustainability. At the heart of the identity is the Wholy Ring of Goodness, a symbolic logo representing balance, wholeness, and the brand’s commitment to reducing waste through sustainable practices.

The playful Wholy Veggi family, a set of engaging illustrative characters, brings the brand to life, making the idea of eating vegetables fun and approachable. Bold colours, dynamic typography, and lively imagery create a youthful, innovative spirit that sets Wholy Greens apart from more traditional health-focused brands.

Its products, such as its vegetable-rich pasta, can now stand out on the shelves, reinforcing the message that eating well and living sustainably can be joyful and impactful.