When the Burkmann Bird Seed Company approached us, their ask was simple: Their packaging for their lines of Song of America bird seed needed a renewal, something that would move them from generic to premier. They needed a full rebrand and packaging redesign for their main retailer Ace Hardware, as well as other national retailers. They also wanted to differentiate their multiple lines of bird seed blends for their customers and stand out from their competitors.

First, we researched their competition, giving us an idea of what Song of America’s competitors looked like, and how they positioned themselves on the market. We also created use cases that profiled the audience who we felt would best connect with the Burkmann brand, which included consumers and retailers. With this research, we were able to identify what designs and color schemes would catch the most attention, showing images of ‘what birds prefer’ and rendering planograms that showed what the new packaging would look like on the shelves alongside competitor products.

When it was time to design, we had a lot on our hands: Burkmann had 66 separate bird seed blends in increments of 5, 10 and 20 pounds. We chose 18 different bags with six different designs to help customers differentiate between product lines. We also designed and integrated a handle in the bag’s design to aid in carrying. Next, we redesigned the logo, refreshing their original one as a more distinctive image of a songbird. We also added a user journey and chart to help consumers connect with the product and choose the right bird seed. For the final component, we focused on photography for the new packaging. In total, we utilized 72 unique plates to print the packaging. It was a challenge to fit within the printing guidelines, but we were able to create a design that met the client’s needs and dazzled customers. To this day, Song of America can be found on the shelves at any Ace Hardware store.