There’s a candy shop, and then there’s Spoiled Parrot.
This New York City destination is an oasis of delectable treats, where those afflicted with a sweet tooth go to celebrate the depth of flavor one can find on chocolate, ice cream, and lollipops. It’s otherworldly in a way only those that respect the sweeter things in life would comprehend and appreciate.
Spoiled Parrot is a curator of international confectionery and high-end chocolates and hosts its own line of desserts with delicious packaging designed by Mucca. The brand leans into the idea of quaint nostalgia intersecting with gilded sophistication to create an identity that masters the art of approachability and perfection. The outcome is an independent brand that leans into its own identity, separate from Jean-Georges’ Tin Building, the culinary food hall home to various restaurants and retail spaces, including the Spoiled Parrot.
While the Spoiled Parrot brand is strong enough to stand on its own, it still fits within the strength of the Tin Building’s ecosystem. The packaging design for the sweets brand elicits the same innate feeling, one that is soaked in luxury and feels like a special treat as the rest of the Tin Building’s extensive lines. Being able to create an individualized experience underneath a wider umbrella of brands is challenging, but Mucca has executed flawlessly for Spoiled Parrot.
The multi-colored hues on each of the touchpoints and packaging represent the colorful feathers of a parrot and beautifully represent different flavors melting together to create a warm, impactful embrace.
“We named the Spoiled Parrott after a Rumi stanza,” says Matteo Bologna, principal and creative director of Mucca Design.”‘I am a spoiled parrot who eats only candy. I have no interest in bitter food.’ Because of the ominous presence of the word parrot in the logo on every packaging, we deliberately omitted it in the identity to avoid banal cliches like having a cute bird illustration.”
True to his word, the brand’s logomark is an empty birdcage with an open door implying the bird’s presence with its absence. What’s more, Mucca added a feather motif to the brand system with the idea of never showing the bird in its entirety. Doing this allowed them to apply that same device to flavor denomination. “Some products were more straightforward, like lemon jalapeño chocolates,” adds Matteo. “With this flavor combination, fusing gradients of yellows and greens seemed to be appropriate. Meanwhile, we took more artistic liberties in the color selections for other flavors like pretzel pop rocks.”
