Tailspin Jerky
Scott took the leap from being a Software Engineer at Apple to starting his own jerky company. He knew he had an amazing recipe but needed a brand to match. There were only two major requirements; keep things humorous, and don’t just be another ‘cookie cutter’ jerky company.
From the beginning, we sifted through dozens of possible names but kept coming back to 'Tailspin'. We ironically embraced the traditionally negative name because of its amusing visual implications, memorable nature, and to emphasize that this company is anything but a safe, boring, run of the mill jerky company. This is a company unafraid of embracing the nontraditional, whether that be unique packaging, outlandish copywriting, or moist, tender jerky… a stark contrast in a market space dominated by dry meat products.
With the name chosen we moved onto identity design. After going back and forth on a variety of different design solutions, we ultimately found ourselves embracing the logo of a flying cow… being carried through the air by its spinning tail.
To bring the identity together, the logotype was customized with cuts to mimic the cow's tail. With the foresight to avoid black in the branding, we went with a dark blue that was bold and nontraditional.
When it came to packaging, we knew that there were a few things dominating the jerky shelves—black and craft bags, overly macho themes, and loads of hand crafted, artisanal buzzwords. Straying from the status quo, we landed on a design system and visual language that's scaleable and much more approachable.
The bags feature a bold dividing line representing the waves of flavour you get with Tailspin Jerky. This element helps add distinction to each flavour, while simultaneously creating brand recognition in contrast to competing products. The heat indicator icons lead into the flavour and taste profile so within seconds you'll know which bag is perfect for you. On the back of the bag, the brand tone is reinforced through witty copy and a few nutritional stats that are featured above the window which shows off the thick cuts of delicious Tailspin Jerky contained inside.
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Results
Within the first 6 months since launching, Tailspin has already established itself as a familiar face in the offices of many of the largest companies in the San Francisco Bay Area. They’ve also been active in their community, providing thousands of bags of jerky to firefighters fighting the fires in Northern and Southern California. Also, it tastes delicious.
“No testimonial of a reasonable length can handle the amount of praise I’ve got for Brett Lair. Am I a genius? Probably. Could my questionable genius have been fully realized without Brett Lair? Definitely not. Not only is Brett exceedingly creative and capable when it comes to his craft, but his work ethic extends beyond just the deliverables.
When you hire Brett, you’re hiring a talented designer that truly wants to see YOU succeed. He’s the kind of guy you can be assured will stick with you until everything is perfect, and then he’ll surprise you with a few extras to make things even better. I initially hired Brett to help me formulate some basic packaging designs and flush out a brand identity… but I could never have foreseen the truly immeasurable value his work would hold for my company. Immensely creative, excellent collaborator, disciplined worker, and stellar teammate.”