Silver Graphics, Illustration and Visual Communication Design · 2025
Grovehood Collective Branding
- A' Design Award 2025 Silver Winner in Graphics, Illustration and Visual Communication Design
- Awarded April 15, 2025
- CLIENT: Cansu Dagbagli Ferreira
- Estimated Number of Design Views: 53,198
- Verification code 35943567FA · Verify this award
About Grovehood Collective Branding
Grovehood Collective partners with earth friendly boutique farms to create a transparent extra virgin olive oil brand in the Netherlands. The visual identity balances tradition and modernity, emphasizing authenticity and traceability. A vintage inspired label with custom cut details and refined typography reflects craftsmanship and shows all the details of olive origin. The olive with orbits symbol honors the dedication of family run farms whose world turn around this fruit, while an earthy color palette highlights the products natural origins, forming a cohesive packaging system.
Cansu Dagbagli Ferreira's Grovehood Collective Branding exemplifies the contemporary visual language of artisanal food products, drawing upon traditions of Mediterranean still life while embracing the clean precision of modern commercial photography. The composition masterfully balances geometric structure with organic interruption, positioning the elegantly curved bottle as a dark focal anchor within a field of luminous neutrality. The designer demonstrates sophisticated understanding of chromatic restraint, allowing the golden warmth of the oil in the surrounding dishes to provide chromatic punctuation against the predominantly achromatic palette of grey tiles, white ceramics, and the deep bottle silhouette. The inclusion of fresh olive branches introduces not merely decorative botanical elements but establishes narrative authenticity, connecting the refined final product to its agricultural origins through visual metonymy. Typographic choices on the label suggest heritage and craft while maintaining contemporary legibility, with hand-drawn illustrations evoking artisanal production methods and single-estate provenance. The overhead perspective, a convention of contemporary food photography, flattens pictorial space while simultaneously creating intimate tablespace engagement, positioning the viewer as participant rather than distant observer. Textural dialogue between glossy glass, porous ceramic, granular tile, and waxy leaf surfaces enriches visual interest while demonstrating material sensitivity characteristic of refined brand identity work. The measured distribution of golden-filled dishes creates visual rhythm and suggests abundance without excess, echoing traditions of prosperity symbolism in still life painting while maintaining contemporary minimalist restraint. What does this careful orchestration of material, color, and form communicate about the relationship between agricultural tradition and contemporary consumer experience?
Press Kit
- Unique Properties
- Grovehood Collective redefines olive oil branding by blending heritage with modern elegance. As the Netherlands' first transparent extra virgin olive oil brand, it sources from family-run, earth-friendly farms. The vintage inspired label, with refined typography, and custom cut design reflects craftsmanship and authenticity. Earthy yet vibrant colors distinguish each variant, while premium packaging invites consumers to explore the rich journey of this high-quality, traceable olive oil.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- 500 ml olive oil labels: 2 front labels (63 x 74 mm) and one back label (69 x 75 mm)
- Tags
- olive oil, gourmet, olive, packaging, label design, custom cut, branding
- Production Technology
- The design thinking method of Diverge and Converge was used. All design was realized digitally as vector based assets with Adobe Creative Suite and then labels were produced by 4 color printing technique.
- Design Challenge
- Due to the bottle shape, the area we could use for the label was restricted, it required to be creative to create the layout while keeping the look appealing.
Another creative challenge was to color match the different materials. The bottle labels are printed on PP while the pouches are printed on a layered plastic material. The color - Project Duration
- Started in October 2024, finished in February 2025
Designed in France, Sold from Netherlands to EU - Operation Flow
- First transparent extra virgin olive oil brand from Netherlands. The high quality olive oil is sourced from earth friendly family farms from different countries of Europe. The brand promise is to bring this high quality extra virgin olive oil that is single state, early harvest, hand picked and pressed the same day olive oil to gourmet audience.
- Research
- A thorough competitor research was done online and offline. During the research phase we concluded that the product quality is superior to almost all of the products available in the market. We decided to go extra mile for the packaging design to reflect this quality. The bottle was chosen from many available options, we went for a special design that looks both unique and premium. Resembling to a wine bottle, the design evokes premium quality. It was sourced from a quality supplier and we decided to use custom cut labels for underlining the uniqueness of the product.
- Inspiration
- The design is inspired by the traditions of olive oil production, where life revolves around the harvest. This idea is captured in the brand symbol: an olive encircled by orbits, representing the families whose world turns around this precious fruit. A fusion of vintage aesthetics and contemporary minimalism enhances the product’s exclusivity. The color palette, drawn from nature, connects the golden hues of olive oil and the rich greens of the trees, capturing the essence of the Mediterranean.
Colors of Grovehood Collective Branding
Get Grovehood Collective Branding
Grand Interview about Grovehood Collective Branding
For me, the key was never to mimic tradition for the sake of nostalgia, but to reinterpret it with intention. Grovehood Collective is rooted in small-scale farming and craftsmanship, but it’s also a forward-thinking brand, prioritizing traceability and transparency. The design reflects that balance, a vintage-inspired label with crafted details brings warmth and familiarity, while the clean layout, refined typography, and restrained color palette introduce a modern, honest aesthetic. It feels connected to heritage, yet confidently contemporary.
The idea came from observing how, for these family-run farms, life truly revolves around the olive harvest. It’s not just agriculture, it’s generational, it’s personal, their center of gravity. The olive with orbit lines captures that sense of dedication, with the orbits symbolizing both movement and connection - the connection between the land, the farmer, and the consumer. It also quietly reflects the brand’s focus on transparency, as traceability is essentially about making those invisible connections visible.
It was definitely a challenge, the bottle is elegant but the label space is compact. That’s where considered hierarchy and restraint became essential. We prioritized only the most relevant information on the front, letting the design breathe. Secondary details, like traceability information, are placed more discreetly but remain easily accessible on the back. We also used custom-cut label edges to create visual intrigue without overcrowding. The result feels premium and intentional, even within tight space constraints.
The palette was directly inspired by the landscapes where the olives grow, the muted greens, the warmth of the soil, the golden tones of the oil itself. We intentionally avoided artificial or overly saturated colors. The aim was to echo the product’s purity and the understated beauty of the farms. The colors not only create visual harmony but also reinforce the tactile, earth-connected feel of the brand. It was about making every detail feel grounded and honest.
Being the first to prioritize full traceability in the market is a powerful differentiator, and I wanted the branding to reflect that leadership in a humble, approachable way. We steered away from overly commercial aesthetics and instead focused on materials, textures, and design choices that felt crafted and real. Authenticity guided everything - from the storytelling layers to the tactile label cut - because this brand isn’t just selling olive oil; it’s offering an honest connection to its source.
The custom-cut double label was a deliberate choice to elevate both the storytelling and the sensory experience. The technical challenge was ensuring perfect alignment and achieving a clean cut that would hold up in production across thousands of units. We worked closely with print suppliers to fine-tune the die-cutting process and test materials that would maintain both sharpness and flexibility. This extra layer of detail gives the packaging a crafted feel that immediately signals quality when held in hand.
Considering the exceptional quality of the olive oil, it was clear the packaging needed to elevate the perception accordingly. The unique bottle silhouette immediately communicates value, care, and a sense of ritual in opening and pouring. It feels like something to savor, not just consume. Every element, from the glass bottle to the refined label system was carefully selected to mirror the premium quality inside. The packaging is an invitation to appreciate the craftsmanship at every touchpoint.
Typography was essential in striking the right tone. I selected a serif with slight vintage cues for the logo typeface and modified some letters to underline the uniqueness and high quality craftsmanship of the product, it evokes tradition, but the clean, modern execution prevents it from feeling dated. For supporting text, I paired it with a simple, legible sans serif to maintain balance and readability. I specifically spent time perfecting the kerning of the logotype, making sure every letter feels balanced and intentional. Special attention went to the E letter, ensuring it stands upright and visually correct even on the curved path of the logo. These small, meticulous refinements are what ultimately create that polished, crafted feel.
Maintaining color consistency across different substrates is always a technical challenge. We collaborated closely with printers to run multiple tests, adjusting ink density and finishes to account for material absorption differences. We developed a color guide specific to each material, ensuring that whether on PP labels, paper tags, or pouches, the visual language stayed cohesive. The process required patience and precision, but it was essential to protect the integrity of the brand across all touchpoints.
The award brings visibility and credibility, but more importantly, it reinforces Grovehood’s commitment to thoughtful design and transparent storytelling. It opens doors for the brand to expand while holding onto the same core values of authenticity and craftsmanship. I believe the recognition will encourage the brand to continue innovating in how it connects people to the origins of their food, both through design and through meaningful partnerships with producers.