Drinking straws and chewing gum. Two items that don’t seem to have much in common. Oh, but they have… Many people aren’t aware, but the conventional gum they usually chew contains single-use plastics — the material that can be found in straws, bottled water, and shopping bags, among many other products. After having discovered that each piece of gum contains roughly the same amount of plastic as a drinking straw, Tom Raviv founded Milliways — a plant-based chewing gum brand, currently trying to disrupt the traditional market with new branding, courtesy of design agency Analogue.
Around 574 billion pieces of gum get chewed each year. Most of them, are made from a petroleum-derived, single-use gum base. Such traditional gum products are harmful to human health, the environment, and local economies. Milliways is a brand that produces plant-powered gum with zero plastic ingredients, embracing a biodegradable attitude when it comes to its products. Plus, its Super Natural Gum tastes like heaven even though the gums are made right here, on Earth.
Working closely with the design agency, the brand’s fresh new look communicates Milliways planet-friendly mission, while putting the spotlight on the natural ingredients used to bring its products to life. To capture best the company’s playful spirit, the rebrand also includes an out-of-this-world design and a vibrant color palette.
Whilst developing an eye-catching brand world — both on and off pack — Analogue’s goal was to capture the consumers’ attention, carrying them to the Milliways Universe through space-themed visuals and a witty tone of voice. By combining these elements with the company’s “super natural,” plant-powered, and plastic-free ingredients, the creatives crafted an identity that is likely to pique everyday consumers’ interest.
85% of British people are not aware that the gum they are consuming contains single-use plastics. As such, it was imperative for Milliways to educate consumers about plastic-free ingredients, not just plastic-free packaging. Under the slogan “The Future of Gum is Here,” the brand wishes to make such eco-friendly products the norm.
To visually shake up the category and stand out on the shelves, Milliway embraced a design style that makes consumers think of the outer space — probably to suggest the unique flavors they deliver and the greener future Milliway wishes to contribute to. Then, these elements were combined with aesthetics inspired by our planet, alluding to the fact that the brand’s products are Mother Nature-approved.
Marrying the images of earthly elements such as watermelon, mint leaves, flowers, and other herbs with galactic-themed visuals like astronauts, UFOs, and space rockets, the creatives got a beautiful, visually harmonious picture, in line with Millways’ aspirations toward helping the environment.
Jamie Cullen, Designer at Analogue said: “When we set out to refresh the Milliways brand there were two key things we looked to achieve: Simplifying the brand logo into something iconic and instantly recognizable and streamlining the visual aesthetic to create a more coherent brand story.”
“It was important for us to build on the existing brand identity we’ve established whilst pushing the brand and designs to the next level to make Milliways recognizable to everyone, everywhere,” adds Milliways CEO and Founder, Tom Raviv. “We’re always thinking about the future and how our products can shape it, so we wanted to incorporate aspirational ‘futuristic’ hues into the designs, whilst still paying homage to the natural and sustainable ingredients we use in our chewing gum. It was also essential that we highlighted our plastic-free ingredients to differentiate Milliways from big gum brands that use petroleum-derived plastics in their recipe.”
“Ultimately, we’re a fun, creative, and personable brand at heart and we want this to be reflected across every touchpoint a person has with Milliways, from our packs to our marketing. We want everyone to feel a part of the Milliways Universe,” concludes Raviv.
The gums are available in stores across the UK and can be purchased from Amazon or via the brand’s website. Rolling out across Milliways’ brand universe, the fresh look can be seen on the packaging, social media, and on the company’s website — where consumers can further immerse in the Milliways Universe and interact with the brand via a cute game.
Are you ready to explore this refreshing world Analogue contoured for the brand? Then check out the gallery below and “Let Milliways (and [its] Millinauts) take you on a super natural adventure — to a plastic-free, plant-powered paradise in a universe not so far away!”
