Oodaalolly Insights: The Meaning Behind Our Packaging
Filipino design is front and center on our new cacao nib packaging.
Discover the story behind the pattern.
An opportunity to differentiate.
Below is an early mockup we put together as a proof-of-concept.
Initially, the plan was to adapt our current chocolate packaging. Our logo and the cacao filigree motif worked on the slim boxes, but it didn’t feel compelling when used on a different package.
Visually, we needed a specific design for our nibs.
As much as we love our current packaging, we’ve been wrestling with brand identity lately. What does it mean to be a Filipino owned and operated business in 2020?
This new product became an opportunity to embrace our roots and proudly proclaim: We are of the Philippines.
A Product of The Philippines
Most grocery stores carry at least one brand of cacao nibs, and decent health food stores will have a few. Head on over to Amazon, and you’ll find a dizzying array of options. But look closely. Nine times out of ten, the country of origin is Peru or Ecuador. Open a bag (we must have sampled a dozen or more), and they taste the same: same nibs, different packaging.
If we could hand out samples, on taste alone, our nibs would be a hit. We can’t be at every store, so our packaging has to sell our product.
Our packaging should say: “Hey, these aren’t standard issue cacao nibs. They look different because they are different. They taste different because of where they’re from. Take them home, and you’ll discover they're the best nibs you’ve ever had!”
- Hernan Lauber
Oodaalolly Founder
It’s not just marketing. Oodaalolly nibs taste different because they’re from someplace different—the Philippines.
Our mantra: Embrace Our Roots
The appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC; "controlled designation of origin") is a certification given to French geographical regions for agricultural products. (Wine from Burgundy and cheese from Rhône-Alpes, for example.)
So much of what makes the cacao we use unique stems from its origin, or in Tagalog, pinagmulan. To show that specialness, we looked back at the history and traditions of the Philippines.
The Philippines’ textile tradition is a deep vein of cultural richness. Over millennia, different regions developed unique styles and techniques for producing striking textile designs.
Below is a small sampling of images from the Odyssea: Nature, Culture, People Facebook group.
Each design is distinct. Individual tribes have particular weaving traditions. There are some similarities, but each is a testament to these groups’ rich heritage. We looked to this history and culture for inspiration.
Currently, our cacao comes from the Davao region of the Philippines, on the island of Mindanao. A member of the Ooddaalolly team, with ties to the area, had several examples of fabric from this region.
One of the most celebrated Filipino weaves comes from the Yakan, a people with a rich and storied history. With the utmost respect and appreciation for this history, we adapted specific motifs from this textile tradition to indicate origin.
The remarkable geometric weaves and bold use of color displayed in the intricate Seputangan style was a particular inspiration. Using several examples as a jumping-off point, we explored these patterns and colors used by the Yakan people.
Until relatively recently, the Yakan wove their fabrics from “pineapple and abaca fibers dyed with herbal extracts.” We saw this as an affirmation of and a metaphor for the terroir concept to which we attribute the unique taste and flavor of Philippine cacao.
With all the meaning that a woven piece of cloth holds, we also made sure that our use respected the Yakan people’s culture and we deeply researched the proper use and meaning behind indigenous designs. Our goal is to show respect for tradition, not exploit it.
The specific color palette unique to Oodaalolly is respectful of Yakan sensibilities and a carefully researched homage to that tradition.
Coded in this pattern is a link to our past that stretches into the future.
Our cacao nibs bear a modern and proudly Filipino design. We pay respect to our rich cultural heritage and forge a path that values the accomplishments of those who came before.
We place tradition front and center while being modern and forward-thinking.
Oodaalolly is Filipino and proud. Like the Philippines and the Filipino people, we bring a distinctive flavor to the world.
