… a long history of truly artisanal baked goods, perfectly imperfect.
In Brief
Kraftsmen Baking is an artisanal baker using old-world techniques to lovingly craft bread by hand, not machine. After many years in business and with upcoming opportunities for growth, Kraftsmen Baking decided to reinvestigate the brand and website to build on their momentum.
Services
- Brand strategy
- Brand refresh
- Art direction
- Packaging design
- Website design
PUBLISHED IN
Print Magazine Regional Design Annual
As a studio, Field of Study has had a long running relationship with Kraftsmen Baking, We created their original identity early after our formation. This presented a rare, and exciting opportunity to revisit our work and evolve it to keep pace with time.
Originally, Kraftsmen Baking’s identity system was designed to evoke the wholesome, rich, and bountiful feel of a Dutch, or European genre painting. Hard working and rugged, but not boutique or luxury in any way. Looking at current competitors, we observed that the market had evolved their brands toward scale and refinement. We felt that our original strategy, if anything, had become more effective. Bread has always been a staple foundation of American diets and adding a subconscious link for the nostalgia of simpler times has become increasingly resonant.
Many breadmakers speak in terms of consistency and perfection in the products that they produce. Loaves and pastries shaped exactly, every time, by machine. As Kraftsmen Baking shapes everything by hand, their products vary in size and shape according to the hand of the baker. Rather than being a drawback, we chose to highlight these differences as being reflective of the love and soul that went into their creation. Something machines can never offer.
Everything in the brand system was created to drive toward that effect. We crafted language and messaging that highlighted their process — for example “Perfectly imperfect” or “Breads made by human hands.” Illustration, type selections, and photographic direction that feels warm and human.