Swerve Sweetener Branding Campaign
Industry
Services
The Challenge
When Swerve first came to us, they had a genuinely breakthrough product.
Swerve is a revolutionary sweetener derived from erythritol and oligosaccharides, offering a zero-calorie, zero-glycemic-impact, cup-for-cup sugar replacement for baking.
Initially, the product lacked a brand identity, packaging, and shelf presence, making it hard to compete with established sweeteners like Splenda and Stevia.
Our job was to build Swerve’s brand from scratch, giving this one-of-a-kind product the brand confidence it deserved. That meant creating a visual system, a tone of voice, and a food packaging design architecture that could earn trust at first glance and explain a complex proposition in under three seconds.
Insight
To build a better branding strategy for health-conscious consumers, we spent time talking to the people who'd actually use Swerve.
User research revealed that the core emotional challenge for Swerve's target consumers is a sense of loss or grief related to traditional sugary treats, such as birthday cakes and holiday cookies, highlighting the need for a sweetener that feels guilt-free and joyful.
The competitive set was obsessed with subtraction — less sugar, fewer calories, no guilt. Swerve's entire brand could be built on addition: more possibilities, more occasions, the full joy of baking family recipes with Swerve. That shift from deprivation to abundance became the emotional engine of the brand.
The Strategy
We began with the logo. We developed a clean, confident wordmark anchored by a custom letterform that introduced a subtle curve – a visual nod to the “swerve” in the name. We then paired that font with the imagery of the hummingbird, a symbol that resonated with health-conscious consumer marketing audiences.
A hummingbird is drawn to sweetness without the consequences. A hummingbird lives on nectar. It seeks out sweetness instinctively, joyfully, constantly. But unlike a bee (which implies sting, work, production), the hummingbird just enjoys it. That mapped nicely to the Swerve consumer: someone who loves sweet things and shouldn't have to feel bad about it.
Zehnder then developed the consumer packaging advertising in both English & French for granular and confectioner bags, individual packets, and box forms. To boost this retail shelf strategy, Zehnder also developed supporting brand elements from business cards to store point-of-purchase displays, influencer baking kits, merchandise, food show booth graphics, and more.
Results
Swerve is now one of the fastest-growing shelf-stable sweetener brands in North American retail. Deliverables included:
- Brand logo and visual identity system
- Multi-language consumer packaging design for retail shelves
- Branded touchpoints such as business cards, point-of-purchase displays, influencer baking kits, merchandise, and food show booth graphics
Dive in with Z
Zehnder is always on the lookout for great collaborators. From clients aspiring to drive sustainable growth to fresh talent hoping to join the team, we welcome you to drop us a line. We’ll be in touch!
