Sting’s packaging, designed by Manas Trivedi, leans into the heat unapologetically. The wordmark is punchy and rounded, echoing the gooey flow of honey while still feeling assertive. Set in bold red on a bright yellow backdrop, the label reads more like a warning sign than a product, intentionally. The jar shape stays classic, but the palette and typography shout with energy. It’s playful, almost cartoonish, with a wink to retro supermarket spice cues.
Sting – Hot Honey, needed a bold and cheeky brand identity that was equal parts sweet and spicy. I developed an identity based on the contrast between sweet and heat. This concept guided the design, leveraging a dynamic but simple yellow and red colour palette to represent the fusion of flavours.
Typography choice reflects this contrast, pairing a thick, assertive display font with a softer, refined serif. I wanted to position Sting as an everyday condiment for adventurous palates. The identity reflects a confident, playful tone that invites users to transform their meals with a burst of flavour.
The logo and visual elements strike a balance between smooth, rounded shapes for sweetness and sharp, angular lines to represent heat.
The playful, cheeky copy warns customers of the product’s spicy kick while tempting them to add Sting to their favourite dishes. Drawing from beekeeping, where very angry bees signal a “hot hive”, we leaned into this concept to create bold, daring language that reinforces Sting’s fiery personality—reminding customers that this honey isn’t just sweet, it’s got a sting.
