Monties

Throughout the years we’ve had many opportunities to work with farmers markets, food purveyors, and restaurants, but working with Payson Fruit Growers was our first project working directly with farmers. Payson Fruit Growers began as co-op of family farms in 1964. Those same families grow (mostly) cherries today in orchards in and around Payson.

Our assignment was to create a name and brand identity for a new line of dried cherries, write the supporting marketing copy for web and print, and develop the package design. To tackle this, we carried out a series of interviews with key stakeholders in the co-op to learn about their impact in their community, the history of their farms, and most importantly, the story of the tart Montmorency cherries which dominate their orchards.

We wanted to develop a robust understanding of the client and their desired audience in order to cultivate the best fit for their new brand. We teamed up with Gabriella Hunter to create a variety of design options that ran the gamut from traditional with a vintage flair that you might see on an old fruit crate to crisp and modern that might set itself apart in the dried fruit aisle at the grocery store. We then convened a focus group including several local friends in the food and branding arena to help our client make decisions on style and confirm the name choice. Through this process we found a name — Monties (short for Montmorency) Dried Tart Cherries — and a design that fit their needs — high end, youthful, and health-conscious.

To bring home the point that Payson Fruit Growers is local, authentic, and instilled with a family history, another key element was coming up with great visual pieces like David Newkirk’s beautiful photos of the orchards, the fruit, and the people who are the heart of the business. These give the website valuable texture and depth.

We rounded it out with detailed copy that tells the history of the farms, highlights the numerous health benefits of their tart cherries, and gives some tips on how to incorporate these tasty treats into your diet.

We look forward to seeing Monties on the store shelves soon, but until then, get your fix directly on the e-commerce website Third Sun built for them.