sweet ruby
Branding + Brand Activation
January - May 2026
Role: Creative Direction
Sweet Ruby Farms is a fictional, family-oriented lychee farm focused on promoting ethical and wholesome food choices. I created the branding as well as brand activation elements for promotion at farmers' markets.
Mission Statement
Sweet Ruby’s mission is to connect people directly to food production and share the taste of ethically grown lychees. Through thoughtful branding and brand activations, Sweet Ruby hopes to bridge the gap between farmers and consumers.
Sweet Ruby intends to inspire meaning, transparency, sustainability, and appreciation for the earth and the communities it supports.
Marketing brief + Research
Before proceeding with visually depicting my mission statement, I first created a marketing brief. This marketing brief aided in organizing my research as well as understanding different success metrics and how Sweet Ruby can distinguish itself. I made sure to research competitors and analyze strengths and weaknesses so the branding could be built on real logistics.
Iterations
When I was first creating logo iterations for the Sweet Ruby, I leaned more direct. My typical style of design is very modern and illustrative, as depicted by the logo in the upper left corner. However, I realized that I need to break out from what I am used to and truly create something representative of the brand. Since the brand focuses on community and wholesome means, I pivoted to a more rustic style. This is depicted by the other logo variations I created.
Complementing the logo
After settling on a logo that really represents the farm’s mission statement, I then focused on contributing elements. I created three versions of the logo so that the branding can adapt to each scenario. I then created a muted but interesting color palette to emphasize the rustic nature of the brand. I then further created illustrations and linework that mimic the style in the logo to be used in brand activations or for further needs.
Brand Activation Planning
The brand activation for Sweet Ruby is a farmers’ market booth. Many small businesses and farmers attend farmers’ markets to promote their products. Therefore, I took this idea and expanded it in a way that would garner more attention than the average booth.
In my planning for the activation, I wanted to use the elements of the guidelines to expand upon the booth. The boxes for the fruit would be displayed on the booth; there would be multiple 3D versions of the illustrations to encompass the booth, as well as the Sweet Ruby banner.
As a personal touch, I included recipe cards that people can take home and cook with the lychees they purchased. It is meant to incentivize the audience as well as broaden their perspective on lychees.
deliverables
The final deliverables for the brand activation farmers market booth include: five different recipe cards, three individualized price tags for each type of lychee, and the banner that would cover the booth. Ideally, the booth would contain more branded materials, but rather as decoration, instead of as a means to convey the brand identity.
results
While I was unable to create the brand activation at a real farmers’ market, I was still able to imitate it! I was able to set up a booth similar to the real idea, including the physical packaging, recipe cards, banner, decorations, etc. This was the perfect opportunity to learn and adapt for future branding needs!
