Philadelphia Cream Cheese
Creative Challenge
Philadelphia Cream Cheese is an American icon. Familiar, trusted, and loved. But on shelf, it was blending in. The packaging didn’t captured the richness, creaminess, and indulgence that make the product special.
The task wasn’t just modernizing the look. It was bringing the experience of cream cheese to life: the pillowy heaps from classic bagel shops, the spreadable perfection on a fresh bagel, the moment of indulgence in a simple bite. At the same time, the redesign needed to unify a sprawling SKU range, so each flavor and format felt part of the same cohesive, premium system – without alienating loyal fans who recognize and trust the Philadelphia brand.
It was a balancing act: honor the past, excite the eye, and elevate the moment of enjoyment.
Solution
The redesign invites consumers into the immersive pleasure of Philadelphia Cream Cheese.
We focused on experience-first photography, capturing cream cheese as indulgent, pillowy, and irresistible. We brought to life the textures and richness that define the brand and created a modern, flexible system that works across formats, flavors, and SKUs, while maintaining the iconic Philadelphia identity.
The design doesn’t just show the product. It celebrates it, making each package feel like a promise of indulgence and quality.
Brand Identity
Brand World Development
Packaging Design
Visual Identity
Portfolio & SKU Optimization
Concept Development & Iteration
In collaboration with Jones Knowles Ritchie
When you look at the new Philadelphia packaging architecture, the first thing that strikes you is the intentional harmony between heritage and appetite appeal. At the heart of the design, the iconic brandmark is nested directly within a generous, indulgent mound of cream cheese, creating a visual "nest" that reinforces the product's creamy texture as the foundation of every flavor.
This placement isn't just about branding; it’s a sensory cue that promises richness from the moment you glance at the shelf. This design language creates a clear navigation system where the hero ingredients tell the story of the variety, while the consistent structural "mound" reminds the consumer of the premium quality they expect from Philly.
WORDMARK EXPLORE
Philadelphia Cream Cheese refined its logo to achieve a cleaner and more contemporary look. The updated design simplifies the previous logo, enhancing its clarity and adaptability across various applications.
Additionally, a unique "schmear" version was developed, featuring the logo embossed in a fluffy swipe of cream cheese, adding a playful and appetizing touch to advertising materials.
DESIGN EXPLORE
In this exploration for Philadelphia Cream Cheese, the focus was on evolving a storied heritage brand by balancing its iconic status with a more tactile, sensorial kitchen experience. We moved away from the standard clinical white backgrounds toward a system that celebrates the product’s creamy texture and versatile usage.
By experimenting with varying degrees of photographic "swirls" and more editorial typography, the concepts explore how the brand can feel both premium and approachable. This shift from a purely functional container to a more expressive canvas allows for better storytelling – highlighting the perfect schmear on a bagel or the decadent texture.
We modernized the visual system without losing the brand's equity, ensuring that every touchpoint feels as fresh and inviting as the product itself.
