The Chocolate that will melt your heart

Chocolate. Very few words are as charged as this one. From texture, to taste, to smell, most people love chocolate in all its forms. And we at Spearhead are no exception. When Ghada, the founder of Chocolā, approached us with the bean-to-bar concept she was planning to launch, we were immediately onboard. This was back in 2018 and we didn’t know much about what bean-to-bar meant, but Google it and you will find a wealth of information on this sustainable and authentic way to make chocolate. 

We had lengthy sessions with Ghada to truly understand the essence of what she wanted to create. This wasn’t about simply creating chocolate concoctions, this was about making chocolate, from scratch. Ghada spent months researching the best places to source the cacao beans and to make sure that she was abiding by the rules of fair trade. 

Our mission started with the naming of the future brand. One of our suggestions was Chocolā.

The word chocolate comes from the classical Nahuatl (language of the Aztecs) word chocolātl. So we made it shorter. Also, this puts a nice emphasis on the sound of the lā and overall, it’s a name that simply conveys what the client does, without any bells and whistles, and looks and sounds appetizing.  

Then came the exercise of developing the brand identity. And we were so happily immersed in this project. Why?
1. We were working with Ghada as partners and there’s no better way to work than that.
2. We were creating a brand from scratch, imagining its future, and that’s not a chance we often get. 

All in all, good vibes for an overall exciting adventure. 

The branding proposition that was selected is inspired by minimalist aesthetics. A type-based logo was created, emphasizing the A with the usage of the ‘macron’ (the straight line above the Ā) combined with a serif font to contrast the simplicity of the logo and give it a “back to roots” vibe. After all, Chocolā was going back to the source to revive the authenticity of real chocolate, away from food processing techniques and usage of additives. 

The packaging had to be a continuity of the identity, in terms of both look and feel. A textured paper was selected for the wrapping of the bars, which also had multiple communication objectives:
- The usual required information on food labels (weight, ingredients, …)
- Information about the sourcing of the bean
- Fun explanation about the bean-to-bar process 

What about when you open the packaging, what will you find? It keeps getting more and more interesting. This isn’t your typical store-bought chocolate, therefore it doesn’t have a typical mold. We designed the mold and Ghada had it especially made in Switzerland for the Chocolā brand. 

But bars isn’t where it stops. The bars are just the beginning. Ghada spent (and is still spending) numerous hours in the workshop in Aïn Saadeh to imagine and test multiple creations…Nibs, hazelnut spreads, barks, etc. (we know what the etc. holds, we just can’t talk about it for now). So we needed to push the packaging program more. Enter jars, bags, stickers, boxes…

Let’s take this online, shall we? The COVID-19 era expedited the digitization of commerce, even in Lebanon where an economic crisis has been prevailing for years. So an online shop is a must for Chocolā. Using the Shopify platform, we researched the most suitable templates for the brand, created photography briefs and customized the website accordingly. 

We continue working with Ghada and she develops more and more interesting variations of her Chocolā and we can’t wait to see this brand flourish more. And we can’t wait for you to try it. We think you will be hooked!

Visit the Chocolā website.