What defines the next level of premium in the luxury chocolate category? For Malmö Chocolate Factory's super exclusive and 100% organic bean-to-bar launch, we explored the next generation of premium, resulting in a dopamine-happy unwrapping experience for all senses.

In the spirit of Malmö Chocolate Factory's organic craftsmanship, every detail exudes high-end and sustainable quality. Minimal packaging, no plastic, with the elegance of a superior opening ritual preserved. We elevated the brand's distinctive stripes and crafted them as a tactile treat with playful colours in glossy and matte finish, complemented with a gold accent. A single sheet of paper for the structural packaging. Thick enough to support the fragile chocolate bar but thin enough to fold into an asymmetric envelope. Disruptive yet precise, allowing the graphic pattern to build a layered depth. Inside, the chocolate mould ties together the striped expression, and underneath it hides yet another surprise. The bean-to-bar journey is revealed in a detailed and illustrative narrative through the origin, roasting process, and flavour experimentation.

The design detailing is evident from every angle. By showcasing the love, labour, craft, and curiosity behind each block of organic chocolate, this colourful couture craftsmanship casts a glow over the entire category.

When Malmö Chocolate Factory, an organic premium brand exclusively sold in luxury boutiques, was to expand into mainstream retail, it prompted a re-evaluation of their brand portfolio. So, they decided to exchange all 14 SKUs in luxury boutiques with a new, super-premium bean-to-bar range of 6 SKUs. With this reduced offering, Malmö Chocolate Factory was losing shelf impact. Not only did the design have to cover up for it – the move into mass retail made it crucial for the new expression to strengthen the brand's trustworthiness as high-end.

From our point of view, premium and stand-out were essential for both the structural packaging and design – and it got us to explore the next generation premium. Through desktop research, retail observations, and competitor analysis, globally and within the Nordics, we identified overall tendencies and trends. We travelled to London for store checks and investigated the local stores in Stockholm. All of these observations led us to unlock some of the key challenges – and turn them into our advantages in the creation of the new expression;

- In luxury retail everything is premium. There are different ways of expressing exclusivity, depending on target group preferences. To stand out, we needed to stretch the premium expression to another dimension and add an experience.

- An exclusive opening ritual equals abundance of material. For the structural packaging, we wanted to create something extra. An unboxing experience for all senses; tactile and exciting. At the same time, stay true to Malmö Chocolate Factory's organic standpoint. To succeed, we needed to work with just the materials needed to support the fragile chocolate while creating something "extra" graphically.

- Attract two types of chocolate consumers. For the chocolate connoisseur, the design isn't crucial. The important stuff is transparency of origin, beans, cocoa%, roast, craftsmanship, etc. But for those who buy chocolate as a gift, quality, storytelling, and design expression is a huge part of the desirability. To find that balance, we needed to dress the storytelling around each flavour with a "must-have" expression.

- Create a cohesive standout to optimise shelf impact. Since the offering was going from 14 SKUs to 6 SKUs and the shelf impact was dramatically reduced, we started looking for a strong and common thread to keep the range together. Something to bind them together, while still giving each flavour its own personality. The diverse range with a mix of bean-to-bar, milk and mylk inspired us to create a storytelling about the craft and experimentation spirit behind each product. By elevating the brands recognizable stripes, we added a strong and dynamic expression to make the brand stand out with fewer SKUs.

These conclusions led us to define the next level of premium in the luxury chocolate category as an haute-couture-like, yet dopamine-happy, unwrapping experience for all senses. In the spirit of Malmö Chocolate Factory's organic craftsmanship, every detail exudes high-end and sustainable quality. The result is a showstopper – adding a glow to the whole portfolio.