ASHEVILLE, N.C. – No Evil Foods unveiled the first look at its latest packaging evolution today. The new designs, which will be rolled out across the company’s full line of plant-based meats over the coming months are more visually streamlined while keeping the innovative brands’ key value positions in mind: environmentally sustainable & texturally rich Plant Meat made from simple, AF (animal-free) ingredients.
A PACKAGING EVOLUTION
The company, which first started selling at farmers’ markets in 2014, has long been recognized as an innovative leader for both its packaging design and packaging-related sustainability initiatives. The brand received a NEXTY Award for ‘Best New Packaging Innovation’ from New Hope Network at 2017’s Natural Products Expo East, and in 2020 the company announced it had become Certified Plastic Negative, the first plant-based meat brand in the world to do so.
No Evil Foods collaborated with brand strategists at Smoketown in Chicago and long-term creative partner Kara Hollinger, founder of Charlotte, NC-based design firm Made Outside to execute the company’s vision. The result is fresh new designs that are eye-catching and bold. Together, they reorchestrated the brands’ messaging hierarchy, highlighted the main value propositions, incorporated a color-coding scheme, and perhaps most notably, added appetizing food photography to clearly signal usage occasions. The changes work together to create packaging that is more shoppable in a dynamic and rapidly changing digital and in-store environment.
“We wanted to keep certain familiar and favorite elements of our original brand while also streamlining our focus and doubling down on our values. In the era of COVID, with restricted field marketing and demo opportunities, we needed our packaging to work harder on the shelf, and we believe our new lineup will really stand out. Our look has changed, but our customers can expect our commitments to creating Plant Meat from simple, animal-free ingredients and environmental sustainability to remain as true as ever,” stated Sadrah Schadel, co-founder & Chief Creative Officer.
“It’s rare to find a company with a strong mission and understanding of their brand’s purpose. When repackaging the line-up for No Evil, we followed Sadrah’s keen eye for the non-traditional. We stepped back, understood the goals and challenges, and aligned with brand new positioning. For No Evil, it’s more than just selling Plant Meat – it’s about supporting communities, fostering sustainability, and building equity. So, with the new designs – it was a must to incorporate these values while showcasing the product better, highlighting product claims and benefits all while keeping the story and grit of No Evil intact,” added Hollinger.
NOW, MORE SUSTAINABLE THAN EVER
The new packaging, which is printed on Sustainable Forestry Initiative® (SFI) certified paperboard is a noticeable shift for No Evil Foods, which had become known for its home-compostable unbleached kraft paperboard. Though the move should not be mistaken as a compromise on the brands’ sustainability commitments.
The company reports that the transition to SFI certified paperboard is a significant and measurable improvement to their overall environmental impact as compared to their previous virgin paperboard with specific reductions of 80% or more in GhG emissions, environmental toxicity, and human health burden.
The brands’ packaging will be printed using 100% renewable wind power and will use vegetable based inks that have 40% fewer VOCs than conventional inks and are comprised of 100% natural and renewable oils.
“We believe that our food system should be at the forefront of combating the environmental crisis, and how we approach packaging needs to be included in that. Companies should be doing the work to fully understand the impacts of their packaging. We underwent a lifecycle analysis for our products and packaging and learned that what we assumed was the least impactful packaging substrate, wasn’t. So, we took steps to improve that,” said Schadel.
The company’s commitment to remove twice as much plastic from nature as it uses will hold true with this packaging refresh. To date, No Evil Foods has diverted over 16,000 lbs of plastic from landfills and avoided over 10,000 lbs of CO2 emissions from their efforts.
NO EVIL FOODS ENTERS THE BEEF GAME
A new visual direction isn’t the only upcoming change for No Evil Foods. The company is excited to introduce a new Plant Meat to its core line of center of the plate proteins. No Evil Foods’ plant-based ‘beef’ strips titled Best Life Beef will bring a new format to the alternative beef category. Best Life is a tender, robust, and rich Plant Meat strip that incorporates new innovation for No Evil Foods: upcycled ingredients.
“As the plant-based category continues to mature, it’s important for us to expand our product portfolio and prioritize creating new and innovative offerings to bring to an increasingly competitive set, and not just recreate another version of something that’s already on the market. Consumers don’t need another burger or beef crumble. With our new beef strip, I believe we’re tapping into the consumer desire for new formats of the plant-based protein favorites that they’re already familiar with,” said Ron Bryant, Chief Growth Officer at No Evil Foods.
Best Life Beef will launch exclusively at over 300 Sprouts Farmers Market locations in March, becoming available to other retailers later this Spring. No Evil Foods will follow the introduction of Best Life Beef with a DTC launch of two additional sauced Plant Meat flavors, a Chimichurri marinated ‘Chicken’ and a ‘Pork’ Al Pastor this summer.
No Evil Foods will be preparing all 3 of its new products in Anaheim, CA at Natural Products Expo West, March 10th-12th in Hall E, booth 5715.
ABOUT NO EVIL FOODS
No Evil Foods creates killer plant-based meat from sustainable, non-GMO, and simple AF* ingredients. We believe you don’t need to wreck the planet to eat well, and you shouldn’t have to compromise taste for health. Our line of plant-based meats made from boldly seasoned, nutrient-dense ingredients you can recognize can be found at retailers nationwide including Whole Foods, Wegmans, Walmart, and Sprouts.