Saltas
Overview
For over a century, Koestlin has been crafting delicious biscuits, tea pastries, wafers, and salty snacks, earning the love and trust of consumers with their commitment to quality. As part of Koestlin’s exciting brand evolution, we had the opportunity to redesign the packaging for Saltas, the iconic salty snack line.
Since its launch ten years ago, Saltas has become a favorite across Eastern Europe, known for its irresistible salty sticks, pretzels, and filled sticks. Our mission? To give the brand a fresh, modern makeover while keeping all the special qualities hat made Saltas a market leader in the first place. It was about striking the perfect balance between new and familiar—a look that feels fresh but still true to its roots.
Approach
Before diving into the design process, we took the time to really get to know the Saltas brand inside and out. We spoke with loyal customers and key stakeholders to understand the brand's heart - its history, what makes it unique, and what its fans love most about it.
The new packaging needed to be an evolution, not a revolution. We wanted to honor the brand’s heritage while giving it a modern twist that would keep it fresh and exciting. Finding that sweet spot was key for a brand as well-loved as Saltas.
As part of this project, we gave the entire Saltas product line a fresh look. This included their beloved salty sticks and pretzels in addition to Saltas gourmet offerings, like peanut-filled sticks, cheese sticks, and bold spicy sticks filled wit red pepper. Each product has its unique design, but they all fit together seamlessly as part of the Saltas family.
The brand’s signature gold foil, a longstanding symbol of its premium quality, has been preserved, along with the familiar red for brand consistency. To infuse a sense of Croatian pride, subtle blue accents, inspired by the national flag, have been thoughtfully added.
The logo's typography and shadowing were refined to enhance its shelf presence, resulting in a bolder, more eye-catching design. The updated look gives Saltas a fresh feel while preserving the familiar identity beloved by its customers.
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Results
The result of the Saltas packaging redesign showcases the power of evolution over revolution, especially for well-established brands. By carefully balancing tradition with a modern refresh, we managed to keep the core identity of Saltas intact while giving it a fresh appeal that resonates with today’s consumers. The subtle design updates-preserving the iconic gold foil, maintaining the signature red, and refining the logo-allowed the brand to evolve naturally without alienating its loyal customer base.
This project reinforced a crucial lesson: for beloved, time-honored brands like Saltas, it’s not about reinventing the wheel. Instead, it’s about thoughtfully enhancing what’s already working, maintaining the elements that have built trust, and adding just enough innovation to stay relevant and exciting in a competitive market. By focusing on evolution, we ensured Saltas continues to stand out on the shelves while staying true to its roots.
