Firefly Farms Cheese Label Designs

When Mike Koch and Pablo Solanet, the co-founders of FireFly Farms, approached us about designing two cheese labels for them, we were totally on board. FireFly Farms demonstrates a commitment to ethically produced cheese, sustainability, and their local farming community in Western Maryland—and that’s just some of what goes into what they do. These labels are for their new handmade goat cheese, Cabrita, a four-ounce ripened chevre, and Bella Vita, a harder aged cheese. These two cheeses are for sale exclusively at Whole Foods, and their other amazing cheeses can be found for sale throughout Maryland and in national retail stores. Cheese fans rejoice! (That includes us.)

THE PROJECT

The Octavo team really dug the art nouveau-inspired style of their existing labels, so we wanted to evoke that style with a big, whimsical update. Let’s start with the Cabrita label. To achieve a more playful look, we drew a custom illustration of an adorable goat to go front and center. The muted, vintage colors evoke vintage European posters, but the goat illustration keeps it sweet and fresh.

THE PROJECT

Next came the label for Bella Vita cheese, which features another custom illustration. This time, we switched the perspective of the goat that is now looking out onto a sunny field and fluffy clouds to tie in to the cheese’s namesake: a beautiful life. Again, muted colors add a level of sophistication but the yellows and blues keep it welcoming. Both labels utilize the similar art nouveau-inspired framing and soft hues, but maintain a personality as distinct as the cheese itself.

Next came the label for Bella Vita cheese, which features another custom illustration. This time, we switched the perspective of the goat that is now looking out onto a sunny field and fluffy clouds to tie in to the cheese’s namesake: a beautiful life. Again, muted colors add a level of sophistication but the yellows and blues keep it welcoming. Both labels utilize the similar art nouveau-inspired framing and soft hues, but maintain a personality as distinct as the cheese itself.

Octavo’s goal here was simple: when you saw these FireFly Farms cheese in the aisle among all the others, you knew you saw something special, and something relevant for present day with a nod to artistic styles and labels of the past. The Cabrita and the Bella Vita would look stunning on a cheese board at any gathering. We aimed to create timeless labels for a timeless treat.

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