Description:

Apeel is an edible plant-based coating that reduces food waste by giving you more time to enjoy your fruit and vegetables. As a green-tech startup, Apeel is simultaneously trying to scale up its production and find new markets. Our challenge was to create a website that would help Apeel grow its brand by showcasing the product for the needs of both consumers and retailers in a way that was captivating and inspiring.

Apeel's visual identity was initially designed for the offline retail experience. We understood from the outset that we would need to flex and expand it for the digital domain while remaining faithful to the spirit of the brand. We amplified Apeel's established brand guidelines and brought fresh flavours to the mix with new photography, colours, illustrations and typography. Part of this facelift was to extend the initial colour palette to allow more colour combinations to match the products served by Apeel. We explored colours that fit with Apeel’s existing palette and added new variations that felt fresh and friendly while improving contrast and balance. It was crucial to communicate that Apeel has no impact on the flavour or texture of the fruit and vegetables, so we chose only the most appetizing photos for each product page, reflecting the natural essence of the produce.

Using simple animations, we show users the difference in shelf-life between unprotected foods and those protected by Apeel. By sliding their mouse back and forth, users control a side-by-side 3D animated comparison that demonstrates how much longer their food lasts with Apeel. We wanted the site to feel reactive and smooth, so animations had to strike a balance between being fun and playful while feeling elegant and refined.

Rather than a stand-alone consumer good, Apeel is an integrated value-added product that forms an important part of the emerging green supply chain for fresh produce. That meant that part of the challenge was to cater to the different use cases for the website depending on whether the user was a consumer or a retailer. For consumers, we explained the benefits of the product while giving them a tool to locate nearby retailers that use Apeel. For retailers, we explained the value that Apeel adds in extended shelf-life and savings from spoilage. Simultaneously, for Apeel's internal team, we delivered a comprehensive CMS system comprising 40+ unique modules and 75+ components and variations. This enables them to effortlessly create new, distinctive pages on the fly.

The result was a website that was infused with a bold, fresh personality that amplified Apeel’s brand, products and messaging while carefully balancing the needs of its different audiences.