Hoppy Spring:
Refreshing an Easter chocolate classic.
Russell Stover's Easter chocolate bunny, a beloved tradition, needed a packaging refresh to stay relevant while preserving its nostalgic charm. The redesign improved flavor navigation, highlighted the brand’s trusted identity, and is set to hit shelves for Easter 2025.
Expected Results
New packaging will hit stores in spring 2025, with high sales expectations based on consumer studies showing increased purchase intent and positive feedback.
Improved perception of ingredients & chocolate quality.
Consumers stated the added flavor badge was reminiscent of a crafter’s kitchen and gave the impression of higher quality chocolate.
Increased purchase intent across the flavor portfolio, especially among non-Russell Stover consumers.
Non-RS buyers expressed a lack of awareness of flavors offered before redesign and were excited to buy and try offerings.
Optimized design identity for a prominent brand block on shelf.
The new visual presence drew consumers’ eyes in mock shopping and improved brand recall and awareness.
THE BRIEF
Refresh our bunny packaging to revive a tradition.
Russell Stover’s packaging refresh had five key objectives: enhance appetite appeal, flavor navigation, and branding while maintaining a lighthearted, seasonal tone. The design needed to appeal to all ages, with improved shoppability through clear labeling and intuitive flavor communication. Achieving these goals would strengthen the consumer experience and reinforce the brand’s position as America’s favorite solid chocolate bunny.
WHAT WE DID
The Process
Brand Strategy
The strategy was to explore a broad range of design concepts, from closest to current to more experimental. This approach allowed us to assess the brief’s objectives, spark innovative solutions, and test how far we could push the refresh with consumers.
Package Design
In the concept phase, we considered removing the window and using only photography to enhance appetite appeal and showcase the bunny’s playful details. However, this change was deemed too risky, so we moved forward with window design options for consumer testing.
Consumer Testing
For consumer testing, we conducted virtual and in-person interviews along with a max-diff survey. The interviews provided insights into purchasing priorities and the role of nostalgia, guiding a more subtle design refresh. The max-diff survey confirmed the final design’s increased purchase intent over the outdated version.
