Deux Huit Huit’s identity and packaging for crisps brand Miett celebrates Quebec with 70s nostalgia

Whilst a happy hour spread in Quebec may showcase the best of the region’s cuisine, the crisps are usually anything but local. Despite this, the Quebec province is actually a big producer of potatoes! Realising an opportunity to showcase the best farm-grown ingredients, Aviateur Farm created its own selection of crisps called Miett and reached out to Deux Huit Huit to help bring the vision to life. 

In response, the Quebecois design studio were inspired by the agriculturally responsible approach of their client and created an identity for the brand that hopes to make eating local produce as fun as opening a bag of crisps. Rooted in nostalgia, the visual language calls to mind popular imagery of a bag of ‘good, real, potato chips’ – a fiercely opinionated topic according to their market research. Furthermore, the team aimed to convey the cartoonish vibrancy of the crisp bags of yesteryear – think Matt Groening’s Simpsons, for example. In contrast to the often-drab and demure look of most kettled-style crisp brands, the team focused on selling the authenticity of Miett’s story through a direction imbued with playful casualness.

As Art Director Romain Pedeboscq explains further, “Miett’s design system is composed of three typefaces that work together to evoke the food industry graphic language of the 70s, with a splash of modernity.” First off, the bold logo – in Schick Toikka’s Krana Fat – pays homage to Quebec’s vernacular signage. “The type’s condensed style allowed us to integrate a taller and narrower logo to maximise the impact on the packaging,” Pedeboscq continues. “Its roundness and density also support the gluttonous and fun personality of Miett.” As a secondary typeface, Riesling Type’s condensed linear RT Obligat conveys “a new-farmer vibe with an industrial-retro touch that reminds us of potato bag labelling.” Rounding out the trio, Grilli Type’s GT Pressura Mono ensures perfect legibility with its hyper-minimal construction and brings “an effortless look to the functional packaging information.”

When it came to delivering the information, Brand Strategist Frankie Latour tells us that factoring in two languages – French and English – was an integral part of the design process. “It did force us to be overly conscious of what content brought value to the packaging experience and what information was superfluous,” she tells us, “as we generally wanted to keep the packaging visually simple. Paired with a short-spoken yet friendly and witty brand voice, the graphic design is visually bold with just enough copy and illustrative content to share the unity of Miett’s product and story.” 

The series of illustrations evoke the Aviateur Farm’s experience, a whole lot of whimsical fun and, according to Creative Director Anne Sylvestre, were “all proudly conceived in-house,” thanks to their talented team of designers. “The illustrative system came from the need to communicate the product’s artisanal aspect in a fun and low-key way,” she notes. “We gave our potato farmer a little propeller hat and some aviator goggles to hint at the name of the client’s farm and set the table for a bigger origin story.”

Deux Huit Huit

Miett