Hadji Bey
Confectionery
Brand Refresh / Packaging
Hadji Bey Confectionery is a high-end luxury confectionery brand sold internationally. The original packaging for the product in 1902, was presented in a tin box accompanied by a silver fork.
My brief: was to revive this heritage brand, create a refresh of the brand identity and design bespoke packaging reminiscent of the original Edwardian boxes.
‘Imitations are
disappointing and don’t
please or sell as well as
the original’
– Harutun Batmazian
An Inspiring
Brand Story
The Hadji Bey brand story tells the journey of a man named Harutun Batmazian, an Armenian immigrant who escaped the persecution and violence against Armenian Christians in the Ottoman Empire. In 1902, he set sail to Ireland with no words of English and set up a stall in the Cork International Exhibition selling his Turkish Delight.
His Turkish Delight became an instant success, exporting to luxury stores like Harrods of London and Bloomingdale’s of New York, and even being supplied to royalty in Buckingham Palace. He opened a successful shop on Cork’s MacCurtain Street, selling his delicious handmade powdered confectionery. Harutun’s relentless belief in his brand, his passion and the story behind his journey, truly inspired me throughout the course of this project.
‘A Good Name is
Worth Millions’
I really love how Harutun used quotes like ‘A Good Name is Worth Millions’ on his store shop front or ‘Imitations are disappointing and do not please or sell as well as the original’ on the Turkish Delight packaging shown above. At a time when branding was virtually unheard of, he was reinforcing the quality and uniqueness of his brand through this language. I really wanted to bring his personality to life and used these quotes in my design on the outer lid of the packaging – it was important for me that Harutun’s spirit was in my work. My entire design refresh was influenced by the original Edwardian boxes shown above. I introduced an Edwardian circular pattern on the top lid and included a picture of his iconic store front on the side of the pack. I recreated the ‘HBC’ motif and chose fonts that were reminiscent of the ones used on the original boxes.
The packaging was finished on an uncoated stock drum with different foils for each box. I chose silver, gold and black foils depending on what contrasted well with the colour of the flavour. There are now six products in this confectionery family brand range, i.e., Turkish Delight (Original Rose), Turkish Delight (Rahat Lokoum), Stem Ginger, Fruit Jellies, Vanilla Fudge and Iced Caramels. I was awarded two national awards for this design by Irish Institute of Designers and ICAD. The Turkish Delight, Rahat Lokoum (yellow box) is featured on Ateriet’s Food Culture website as one of 15 amazing yellow food packaging designs, https://www.ateriet.com/15-amazing-yellow-food-packaging-designs/
‘Graphic Design that makes the viewer happy. Dangerously close to kitsch which makes it a series that really touches. Detailed typography that shows craftsmanship’.
– Comments from the international
panel of Institute of Design Awards judges
Yellow and pink boxes were
designed at Originate Creative
“There can be a thin line between success and failure in business and in our case we had the product, the legacy and the pack format but needed to find the right designer to work with. Anne-Marie through her excellent detailed approach to design, helped us totally refresh the Hadji Bey brand, making it a contemporary, beautifully crafted timeless piece and most importantly a great success.”
– Leo Cummins, CEO, Hadji Bey Confectionery