Featured image for The Mean Tomato Creates a New Hero in the Pizza Industry

The Mean Tomato Creates a New Hero in the Pizza Industry

by Chloe Gordon on 06/16/2022 | 2 Minute Read

Pizza has been around for centuries, and while we don't know if they had pizza delivery in those early days, it's at least nice to imagine that the pizza box has been around for just as long. But, because of the container's ubiquity, it feels like we've seen it all when it comes to those big, square cardboard boxes, especially the classic red checkerboards. 

To refresh the classic pizza box, GoPuff worked with creative director Alec Tear in collaboration with agency Kuba & Friends to create The Mean Tomato branding and packaging system. 

The outcome is a box that reimagines the pizza industry, and at the forefront of the design, fittingly, sits a caricature of the mean tomato personality. 

Editorial photograph

In addition to the stereotypical "New Yorker" persona gained from the tomato caricature, the chunky custom typography, designed by Polytype and suitably dubbed "Deep Pan Sans," also acts as a catalyst for the design. The typeface intends to exemplify the brand's cheerful tone of voice and act as a balance to the more moody illustrations. 

The Mean Tomato has removed the cheese from being pizza's main character, thoughtfully introducing a new hero: the mean tomato. The classic color palette paired with modernized typography and illustrations creates a packaging system that makes a new identity for a century-old product.

Editorial photograph
Editorial photograph
Editorial photograph
Editorial photograph
Editorial photograph
Editorial photograph
  • Creative Director: Alec Tear
  • Director: Kuba Wieczorek
  • Gopuff Head of Brand Marketing: Jessica Lauria
  • Creative Producer: Nikki Ford
  • Brand Strategy: Alex Hamilton
  • Naming: Suzanne Hails
  • Copywriting: Anthony Falvo
  • Illustration: Dan Woodger
  • Photography: Ficca + Luciano
  • Type Design: Polytype

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