Identity and Packaging for Pangea Organics

Building an identity to grow a brand

Pangea Organics, a Boulder, Colorado-based organic bodycare company, was reaching the four-year mark when founder and CEO Joshua Onysko approached IDEO to help redefine its brand expression. Small in size, with limited distribution, Pangea Organics was in need of an identity and brand language that would increase demand while embracing the sustainability and organic living philosophies upon which the company was founded.

To learn more about Pangea Organics, IDEO visited the company’s facilities, where the team spoke with multiple stakeholders, from an herbalist to production staff to board members. They also observed the company’s sustainable process for crafting 100% organic soaps, lotions, and facial care products. A workshop followed the visit to promote brainstorming and idea sharing between the two companies. From the workshop, the IDEO team took inspiration from Pangea Organics’ dedication to sustainability and wellness, embodied in Pangea Organics’ products, practices, and emerging nonprofit—the Pangea Institute—to which 25% of the company’s profits go to support sustainability research and education.

Equipped with a deep understanding of Pangea Organics’ core values, IDEO defined the company’s brand principles. These were translated into a full identity guideline and brand story, which were then used in sustainable packaging design for 35 products—including a compostable bar soap box inspired by egg cartons and made from 100% post-consumer content—a point of purchase display, a tradeshow booth, a product guidebook, and customer collateral.

Pangea Organics’ renewed retail presence quickly resulted in a tripling of their product distribution, a Best New Product Award from the 2005 Natural Products Expo, and a Best New Packaging Design award from the 2006 Natural/Organic Products Europe tradeshow.

Project date: 2006