How design semiotics transformed premium ice cream codes into 360° packaging design.
The Challenge
In a growing category, Häagen-Dazs needed to secure in-store dominance and better communicate their super-premium quality. General Mills sought differentiating insights into the cultural codes of indulgence, luxury, and premiumness across the UK, France, China, and Japan to inform a global brand restage.
Our Approach
We deployed a two-phase design semiotics methodology to decode premium and luxury meanings across cultures. Our analysis revealed emerging visual and material codes of contemporary luxury and indulgence in each market. These insights were synthesized into a comprehensive Recoding Kit that identified two key opportunities, with ‘Progressive Elegance’ emerging as the leading strategic direction.
Our design semiotics team then translated this opportunity into specific executable elements:
- Colour palettes embodying contemporary luxury
- Typography balancing heritage with modernity
- Shapes and forms communicating premium quality
- Materials and finishes elevating the brand experience
- Structural design elements creating distinction
The Outcome
The resulting packaging blueprint delivered specific, actionable direction for every design element – from structural forms to surface graphics – and won Gold at the 2012 Pentawards.
This work provided Häagen-Dazs with a comprehensive design system that transformed ‘Progressive Elegance’ from an abstract concept into tangible packaging design guidelines, demonstrating how design semiotics can bridge the gap between strategic intent and design execution.