Responses by Pedro Mesquita, creative director, This is Pacifica.
Background: It begins with the charming story of a grandfather and his grandson’s relationship. Founder Filipe Dams created this salmon brand in honor of his grandfather, Eberhardt Horst Dams, whose nickname was Hardy and was also the person who taught Filipe to fish and to smoke salmon in Ofir, in the north of Portugal. The brand asked us to create the stationary, packaging and website for the brand that would inspire and communicate premium quality.
Reasoning: Each salmon is treated with extreme care, according to the German-smoked recipe alongside the Portuguese method. From salting to smoking, each stage is executed to perfection, resulting in a product of high quality and unparalleled flavors. Hardy’s identity results from the symbol that reproduces the Hardy process—the salmon cut with its texture and cord loop pattern—and the use of typographic manipulation that evokes an aesthetic Germanic expression.
Challenges: To develop the identity so that it represented the origin of Hardy and faithfully translated the process. Also, to graphically secure the possibility of brand expansion and deployment of new products and find the perfect balance between artisanal and manual work of the product and the tremendous quality perception that Hardy salmon has.
Favorite details: We take pride in our “raw” approach to the natural materials used in the packaging. The production is of extreme importance—an oversight in production or lack of time weakens the result and the intended impact.
Anything new: In Portugal, there aren’t many methods of smoking fish; it is more of a tradition in northern Europe. It was the first time that we worked with these types of products, and it was a learning experience—realizing the entire process of product transformation and presentation.
Specific demands: After we completed the first packaging set and created the Full Salmon product, the client informed us that the product, besides the point of sale and the website, would be sold in gourmet supermarkets and restaurants nearby. They also wanted us to create the Quarter Salmon product and make sure it is visible through the packaging. We had to adapt our previous packaging to this new demand, without losing its charisma and appeal.
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