Zali Young’s innovative packaging design for Wicked Lore Cake Mix bridges the gap between culinary creativity and cultural exploration. Young’s perceptive insight into the cake mix market revealed the sameness that haunts the shelves. In a stroke of brilliance, each cake box becomes a gateway to enchanted worlds, featuring captivating witch folklore originating from the cake’s country of origin. Fusing baking and storytelling sparks youthful imagination and empowers parents to choose a brand that nurtures their children’s inventiveness.

I had a choice of designing new packaging products for an existing brand, or creating packaging for a whole new brand. Immediately, I recognised a gap in the cake mix packaging department, with conducted interviews further displaying how consumers are unable to pick a favourite brand, amongst the “sea of sameness”. Each cake box features a witch folklore based on the cake country of origin, educating kids about different folklores from around the world, while they bake. This dual activity allows their parents to pick a brand that inspires their children to create, and be imaginative with baking. Not only expanding their knowledge, but also allowing kids to be kids again, with the nostalgic elements of storybooks and fairytales. Additionally, the illustrated storybook packaging allows for young teens to collect and display on their shelves.