Sugar Rush

One of the more mild consequences of Superstorm Sandy, is that Halloween has been decidedly postponed this year, if not altogether cancelled in some communities. Fortunately, our little town has decided the Trick-or-Treating must go on. So tonight, I’ll either be escorting my little ones from door to door, or answering my own door repeatedly to costumed little people.

Either way, there’s bound to be a lot of surplus candy in the house for the next several weeks. In celebration of that fact, I’m featuring some sugary sweets  from my image backlog that I find quite nice.

First up, Emergency Chocolate, from Bloomsberry & Co. The idea here is simple and clever: lean into the “curative” or “therapeutic” qualities people already attribute to chocolate. Then design it in a tongue-in-cheek way that encourages purchasing if for no other reason than novelty. Consequently, the design stands out really well on the shelf. And, true or not, also happens to look a bit Swiss. I hear the Swiss make some decent chocolate. 

Next we have something I’m still a bit uncertain about: Unreal Candy. Their message and mission is admirable if nothing else, and I say kudos to that. My uncertainty is more to do with their design, primarily that it’s sort of hard to read their name in that jumble of right angles. However, I think it’s amazing they’re doing something so aesthetically different from their peers. It has plenty of shelf-appeal for one thing. For another, it feels fun and fresh and appropriate without having to buy into the existing candy or “natural” products vernaculars. And that tips me from uncertainty to pretty much loving it.

Last up, this ain’t candy. It’s straight up sugar. Saint Louis sugar to be exact. Despite a quite handsome logotype, it’s obvious from their website that their brand design is a mess. Forgetting and forgiving that, these sugar packets are bright and cheerful, they come in an unusual shape, and they address something so few sugar packets do: most of the time they’re just sitting around waiting to be used, so why not make them decorative. To me, each one is an invitation to rip it open and pour it right into my mouth. You’re welcome mouth. (Sorry fat parts.)