Packaging design for Taverna cheeses – inspired by the Mediterranean

The Mediterranean meets Scandinavian minimalism

One of the crucial factors in the design process was to communicate the Mediterranean origin. However, the Nordic flavour touch should also be prioritised – Nordex Food is based in Denmark, and Scandinavia is generally known for high food safety, quality and Scandinavian minimalism.

We chose to communicate the Mediterranean through the decorative frieze. It always appears at the top of all packaging and is inspired by the traditional tiles often seen in the Mediterranean region. The frieze effectively draws attention to the origin of the products. We also worked on communicating through colour. The bright blue background, in combination with the white background of the frieze, is a classic Mediterranean colour combination. At the same time, the cool blues act as a hint of Scandinavian and are colours that perform well in the dairy category.

We primarily incorporated the Scandinavian look through the product images – they had to be inspiring and delicious, above all, to support the Taverna brand and its products. We chose a simple photo style where all products were photographed from above on dark stoneware, giving a simple, Nordic and minimalist look.

During the design process, we were also given the opportunity to update Taverna’s logo. Again, we took a Scandinavian approach and simplified the logo to make it simpler and stylish, but still with its roots firmly planted in the Mediterranean.

From white to blue

Where Taverna’s packaging design previously had a white background, we chose to work with a blue background. We chose this to honour the Mediterranean origin, differentiate from competitors and create a clear connection across all Taverna products. The background colour, combined with the fixed design setup with the frieze and logo at the top, text hierarchy, and product image at the bottom, ensures that Taverna is always easily recognisable to consumers in the shops.