Featured image for Plant-Based Steak Juicy Marbles' Branding Turns On the Charm With Bright, Maximalist Fun

Plant-Based Steak Juicy Marbles' Branding Turns On the Charm With Bright, Maximalist Fun

by Rudy Sanchez on 03/21/2023 | 3 Minute Read

Plant-based meat options seem to grow in number every day. Consumers, even those that still partake in animal flesh but want to reduce consumption, are flocking to plant-based alternatives to chicken nuggets, hamburgers, and sausages.

Still, while not-cow hamburger options can scratch the occasional itch for beef, it’s nothing like a slab of steak. Recreating the flavor, texture, fat marbling, and cook of steaks is a taller order than burgers, and brands like Slovenian-based Juicy Marbles might have unlocked some meaty magic.

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Established in 2020, Juicy Marbles sells loins and filet mignon in the US and EU. The steaks ship frozen and, once thawed, can be cooked like beef loin and filets. Plants like soy, wheat, beetroot, seaweed, and sunflower oil are used instead of bovine flesh, and Juicy Marbles promises a steak-like experience, including marbling and beef-like crust when seared.

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The brand identity and packaging, created by the design agency Ljudje and the Juicy in-house team, are jocularly irreverent and rebellious. Juicy Marbles is visually monochromatic, except for luscious food photography used online and on social media. The prominent orange color is eye-catching and serves as a backdrop for the strong wordmark, illustrations, and blocks of bold text. 

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Copy is light and jokey but also comes sprinkled with existential dread; Juicy Marbles might be trying to save the world, but they still want to feed people with a better version of steak. Still, the brand isn’t preachy about it, opting for a touch of gallows humor.

They've also worked in fun illustrations, including a feline, sunglass-wearing mascot, Mr. Marbles. The cat is portrayed on packaging leaning against a deli counter. Behind Mr. Marbles, punny posters that read things like “We don’t sell meat to crabs” or “Big Mi-Steak.” Beyond the maximalist packaging, Mr. Marbles lives in a deep brand universe where he sometimes rides dinosaurs. Other graphics are equally playful but functional and informational, educating consumers about what might be a new alt-meat experience, what to expect, and how to prepare.

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Juicy Marbles isn’t the only one in the hunt for convincing plant-based steak. Impossible now offers steak tips, and Meati makes mushroom-based steaks and cutlets. But no firm on the cutting edge of plant-based steaks has the irreverence of Juicy Marbles. The brand, led by its hip cat mascot, keeps things authentic in its presentation. Juicy Marbles’ brand identity doesn’t focus on doom but still acknowledges the meat industry's impact on the environment and our health, usually in a playful way.

Last month, UK grocer Waitrose started stocking Juicy Marbles in stores, initially as a Valentine’s Day promotion but with plans to add the product to its permanent plant-based offerings. 


Images courtesy of Juicy Marbles.