labels-artwork Rethinking labels

HellfireFarm

HellfireFarm

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I'm getting ready for my first production runs with a copacker, and thinking about labels again.

This past year, I revamped the labels to go with a white background instead of the original burgundy:
taco.png


One of the original labels (obviously without the ingredients - this was just dried peppers):

ghost-label.png


But when I was at the copacker's office where they had a bunch of their customer's products on display, I noticed there were not a lot of white labels. So I looked in my spice cabinet at the various big name and local brands:
20250131_164318.jpg


And now I'm thinking mine seem rather plain by comparison. Looking at the sauces in my pantry, I'm seeing much the same.

These are going to be on store shelves, either specialty NC stores or larger chains on their "Local Products" display.

I will also most likely be displaying the "Got to be NC" logo on the bottle too:

Screenshot_20250131_170902.png


SO, I'm trying to figure out what to do and looking for some input from the experts around here! Should I go back to the burgundy? Stick with the white? Add something to "spice" it up some?
 
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It depends because what you have in front of you looks more commercial and some people like to "look" more craft. Like that mainstream jam that's in every supermarket but looks like it comes from the farmers market. Do you want a slick logo? Do you want a more farmers market look? Both can be successful, evidenced by this jam:

1738451528150.png
 
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Here is what I'm currently working with

sample1.png


Looking at it I just realized I should add a "facility" allergen statement. Might move the ingredients list to the left side.

I'm not sure about the product name - font, color, background - but it's looking a little better than I was thinking last time I looked.

That left side is pretty bare..
 
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HellfireFarm said:
Here is what I'm currently working with

sample1.png


Looking at it I just realized I should add a "facility" allergen statement. Might move the ingredients list to the left side.

I'm not sure about the product name - font, color, background - but it's looking a little better than I was thinking last time I looked.

That left side is pretty bare..
Click to expand...
Put your avatar on the left side. 😃
 
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I think you need to personalize it with a buzz slogan to let people know it is from a small farm.

From our family farm
Grown on our family farm
Family-owned
Family grown and hand-picked

Spitballing here (obviously write up what works for you) but you should say something on the front to personalize it, which inspires people to grab this one and not the one next to it (Goya, perhaps).
 
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HellfireFarm said:
OK here's where i'm at now. Looking better I think.

sample1.png
Click to expand...
A couple quick comments-
I like the burgundy colored labels. Looks warm and inviting. White is OK, but which color looks better with all the different spice blends you will be making? If one color or the other will work better for all the blends, that might be the one to choose so the color can be consistent over all the items.

The white NoSaltAdded circle looks way out of place. There is a lot of vacant space on the front panel between HELLFIRE FARM and CHILI BLEND and NetWt. Keep in mind the jars have a small front panel space. The label needs to have narrower and taller fonts. I have sometimes used the same font but shrunk width and stretched the height, keeping the recognizable logo but accommodating the narrower front panel of some bottles.

To me, when something says 'no salt added' there is some ingredient that already has salt or is has a natural sodium content, but no other salt has been added. All your ingredients are single items. I'd add a line item on the front panel, "No Salt" in a small simple font right between HFF and Chili Blend.

Hellfire Farm

No Salt (put this in the darker orange color of CHILI BLEND)
Southwest
Spice Blend (Put this in a lighter Yellow//orange color similar to HFF, needs to pop more than the darker orange color as this is the main focus of the item label)

If No Salt is super important to your marketing, keep it on the front panel. If it isn't, put it in the Romance Panel.


Below Chili Blend- put something about what it is for. Is it to make a batch of Chili (aka SOUP)? Ingredients kind of look like a Mexican flavor profile. Mexican Chile Spice Blend. Mexican Spice Blend. No Salt Taco Spice mix/Blend. Salt-Free Southwest Spice Blend.

Another idea would be -
HFF
Southwest Spice Blend
No salt, No sugar
Net Wt-

The name "Hellfire Farm" might scare some people thinking it will be super spicy. Maybe put a Heat Indicator of some type. Heat: 2/10.

Good Luck!
SL
 
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And! What Boss said about having something about "made with our family farm peppers"
but keep in mind, that if that claim is on the label, if at some time there is a crop failure and you have to buy chiles from elsewhere, that could be an issue.
 
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I like your maroon/orange/yellow labels because well, look at this website! 😂 (I am in dark mode)
 
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salsalady said:
A couple quick comments-
I like the burgundy colored labels. Looks warm and inviting. White is OK, but which color looks better with all the different spice blends you will be making? If one color or the other will work better for all the blends, that might be the one to choose so the color can be consistent over all the items.
Click to expand...
Never even thought of that.
salsalady said:
To me, when something says 'no salt added' there is some ingredient that already has salt or is has a natural sodium content, but no other salt has been added. All your ingredients are single items. I'd add a line item on the front panel, "No Salt" in a small simple font right between HFF and Chili Blend.
Click to expand...
My first read of the FDA regulations suggested I can't do that. Rereading, I'm not so sure:
(1) The term "salt free" may be used on the label or in labeling of foods only if the food is "sodium free" as defined in paragraph (b)(1) of this section.

(2) The terms "unsalted," "without added salt," and "no salt added" may be used on the label or in labeling of foods only if:

(i) No salt is added during processing;

(ii) The food that it resembles and for which it substitutes is normally processed with salt; and

(iii) If the food is not sodium free, the statement, "not a sodium free food" or "not for control of sodium in the diet" appears adjacent to the nutrition label of the food bearing the claim, or, if the nutrition label is on the information panel, it may appear elsewhere on the information panel in accordance with § 101.2.
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hmm - that last phrase (if the nutrition label...) might be the operative part here.

I think it IS important in that most blends I see have salt, and if someone doesn't add their own salt I'm not sure they'll be happy with it
salsalady said:
If No Salt is super important to your marketing, keep it on the front panel. If it isn't, put it in the Romance Panel.
Click to expand...
Romance panel?
salsalady said:
The name "Hellfire Farm" might scare some people thinking it will be super spicy. Maybe put a Heat Indicator of some type. Heat: 2/10.
Click to expand...
You're not the first person to suggest that :)
I'll have to figure out the appropriate indicator levels... I have them for the chile powders but this is a different beast.
 
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salsalady said:
A couple quick comments-
I like the burgundy colored labels. Looks warm and inviting. White is OK, but which color looks better with all the different spice blends you will be making? If one color or the other will work better for all the blends, that might be the one to choose so the color can be consistent over all the items.
Click to expand...
I read this after my maroon comment. Agree, warm, inviting. White = generic.
 
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HellfireFarm said:
Locally, at least, that's what "Got to be NC" does, but still a good point (Pretty sure Pepsi could use that label, at least with one of their plants...)
Click to expand...
That means more to local buyers, if you have scaling and expansion in mind you might want to come up with a slogan for your small biz.
 
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salsalady said:
To me, when something says 'no salt added' there is some ingredient that already has salt or is has a natural sodium content, but no other salt has been added. All your ingredients are single items. I'd add a line item on the front panel, "No Salt" in a small simple font right between HFF and Chili Blend.
Click to expand...
This is true. Like No Sugar Added means it has sugar naturally from the fruit but you didn't add any.
 
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If you have blends with salt you can write Salt-Free Blend, because adding the word blend would suggest you had another blend with salt.
 
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