HOT CAKES BRAND REFRESH + PACKAGING DESIGN

Hot Cakes Molten Chocolate Cakery crafts organic, classic American comfort desserts and other original and innovative confections. Founded in 2008 by Autumn Martin, award winning Pastry Chef for Canlis Restaurant and Head Chocolatier for Theo Chocolate, the restaurant is named after its signature product: “take ‘n bake molten chocolate cakes.” After five years of slowly building up the Hot Cakes brand, Martin found herself in a position to reassess her brand strategy. The company’s maturing status as a premium and well-respected brand in the specialty dessert industry warranted a brand refresh. Built upon her passion for chocolate, the outdoors, and love for her Northwest roots, the brand presented a handcrafted, environmentally friendly look, tone, and feel – aspects that Martin wanted to carry forward into the next phase of her branding.

As her products and reputation began to expand beyond her local community, Martin partnered with our Seattle-based design team to help strengthen her brand presence and awareness through her packaging, marketing collateral, and new storefront design. Martin wanted to ensure that the program would be engaging both for existing and future customers.

“Working with CRP has been flawless in design, process and delivery. They are without a doubt, a loved and integral part of our brand and company,” recalls Martin.

Collaborating closely with Autumn to establish Hot Cakes’ new direction, our designers delivered a full brand architecture system for Hot Cakes that features a consistent “sash” element inspired by the newsboy’s messenger bag from the brand’s original identity. The holding device allows each product line to utilize unexpected, bold and engaging patterns to differentiate between the brand’s several product lines. Whether experiencing Hot Cakes’ desserts for the first time in the original Seattle storefront, at a music festival, or on the grocery store shelf, we strove to help Hot Cakes deliver on its simple mission, to “be honest, stay true.”

View the full Hot Cakes case study here.

Photo Credit: annie b/stills