Pumpkin Spice, Made Even More Nice: Lisa Ballard + Fresh Market
Autumn approaches, and we all see it coming: The Pumpkin Spice Onslaught. It’s in everything from ritzy cocktails to scented candles, and even scored its own hashtag. (#PSL FTW!)
And while its prevalence and enduring appeal mean you can probably close your eyes and summon up the smell and taste of this Fall tradition in your imagination, one sensory feature remains a little hazier. Really, when you think about it, what does Pumpkin Spice actually look like?
That’s exactly what SHA illustrator Lisa Ballard got to think about, when The Fresh Market’s internal team reached out in search of a unified look for their Pumpkin Spice seasonal private label products.
“We needed more than just an illustration,” recalls Bryan Bowers, Creative Director at The Fresh market. “We needed a system that would allow the illustration to be used on a variety of products of different shapes and substrates.” Having successfully worked with SHA illustrators over the past 20 years, Bryan knew he could count on us. And, as he was quick to note, this particular artist’s credentials lined up perfectly. “Lisa’s whimsical illustration styles, not to mention her extensive packaging experience, made her the obvious choice.”
We’ll never know for sure whether Lisa relied on some seasonal caffeine boosting of her own to get this project completed, but the results speak for themselves: A custom pattern that works in all kinds of applications, in line with The Fresh Market’s brand but at the same time distinctive and ownable. Oh, and it had to translate smoothly to those many applications Bryan mentioned above—not just product packaging, but also in-store signage, as well as digital ads and emails. Whipped cream with that?
She started by coming up with four distinct options of styles for the client to consider, spanning from simple to more complex and with a range of graphic interpretation. In a bit of autumn magic, The Fresh Market’s pick just happened to be Lisa’s favorite, too. “I just loved that one especially,” she admits. From there she developed a complete package including a specific pumpkin spice pattern, two repeat patterns, and a more general fall leaf pattern. She also included simple icons, extracted from the patterns, for the client’s team to use in smaller placements like mini-ads or labels.
In the end, perhaps inevitably, came the sweet taste of triumph. We now know, beyond a shadow of an autumnal doubt, what Pumpkin Spice looks like. And Lisa’s friendly, four-fold creative style elevated the project even more. “It was her approach and her collaboration,” Bryan reflects. “That’s what made the process—and the product—even better than we imagined.” Mmm.
