Branding by Crumbl

Crumbl is a bakery franchise chain with over 900 locations in the US and Canada. It was established in 2017, with its first location in Logan, UT. Its rapid expansion has been fueled by the demand for its unique cookies, which change every week. In 2023, they partnered with Turner Duckworth to elevate their branding. Let's take a look.

Branding Highlights

Color Palette

Packaging

Photography

Illustrations

Merch

The primary brand color is a vibrant pink which is bold and distinctive. This creates a fun, whimsical, and youthful aesthetic that aligns with the brand's primary audience. In addition, The bold pink hue can evoke a sense of indulgence, sweetness, and treat-yourself vibes - qualities that pair well with an indulgent cookie product.

The packaging is simple, consisting of nothing more than the logo in black on a pink background. Here, I think they took a page out of Tiffany's playbook, reinforcing the brand's positioning as a premium, experience-driven cookie brand that offers a high-quality, treat-yourself product.

Crumbl is a brand that has seen much of its success from going viral on social media. Each week, as they rotate their cookie selection, they showcase each cookie beautifully on a clean, colorful background. Every photo has an artistic quality that visually tells a story, sending those who love their products to their retail locations every week.

Incorporating illustrations into branding is a trend I don't see changing anytime soon. Illustrations help tell a brand's story in a way that no other brand asset can. In Crumbl's case, their illustrations make up the Crumblverse, a world filled with characters that have cookies at the center of their lives.

I believe that most brands should offer merch. If there are people who are big enough fans of your brand to spend money to be a walking billboard, why in the world would you not give them what they want?

Crumbl is a great case study on how branding can build organic growth, sustain a narrative, and create connections with customers that move a business forward. Beyond what I shared here, the brand has been incredibly smart in leveraging its branding to grow and outpace its competition. I will be writing more about the brand in the future. I think if you want to understand branding, there is much to learn from this brand.

PS: This is Branding With Intent's inaugural post. I'd like to thank you for taking a few minutes to check it out. I hope it has been interesting and informative. If you know someone who is building a brand, is interested in branding, or you think they would enjoy content on branding, please share.