Smart Balance
New Zealand's purest. Smart Balance is a pet treat brand built on pure, delicious and balanced recipes, ethically and sustainably sourced from New Zealand ingredients. With a product rooted in one of the cleanest natural larders on earth, the brand needed an identity that made that origin story impossible to miss. An exploration of the branding and packaging system designed to reflect the beauty of New Zealand’s landscape and the simple promise behind every treat.
— Brand creation
— Concept
— Art Direction
— Illustrations
— Packaging Design
The Ask.
Smart Balance set out to bring an ethically sourced, all-natural pet treat to market — one whose entire value proposition rests on its origin. New Zealand offers some of the cleanest, purest, most natural ingredients in the world, and the brand needed a design that communicated that provenance at a glance. The challenge was to translate the country's pristine landscapes and the brand's simple mission — a long, happy, healthy life for your pet — into a packaging system that felt as pure and trustworthy as the product itself.
The strategy.
The design strategy drew directly from New Zealand's natural beauty. Mountains became the central visual motif — appearing in the logo, carried through the footer, and used as a window onto the product itself — anchoring the brand firmly in its place of origin. A subtle ombre colour palette evokes the country's sweeping vistas and sunsets, reinforcing the sense of purity, calm and natural quality. Every element was designed to express the brand's core promise with clarity and restraint: pure ingredients, ethically sourced, for a healthier pet. It's that simple.
The solution.
The result is a brand identity and packaging system that puts New Zealand's natural beauty front and centre. The mountain motif and soft ombre palette work together to communicate purity, trust and provenance the moment a customer picks up the pack, while the clean, considered design reflects the simplicity of the brand's mission. More than attractive packaging, it's a clear visual promise — that Smart Balance treats are pure, balanced and made to give pets a long, happy, healthy life.
"
We only talked with Ryan through phone calls and Teams chats since he’s on the other side of the world, but he understood our brief and scope right away. The food and treat lines he branded for us are now among our best sellers. He’s genuinely great to work with.
— Zhen Biao Chen, Director