Featured Project: Wilder Fields

Services
Naming
Brand Positioning
Identity & Visual Systems
Packaging

The start-up formerly coined Backyard Fresh Farms has now emerged as Wilder Fields—a technology-enabled food company that produces extraordinarily flavorful, fresh, safe, and sustainably grown food for local communities near and far.

One Design led the rebrand of Backyard Fresh Farms, now Wilder Fields

The One Design team has had the privilege of working with CEO Jake Counne and CCO James Ratke since early 2020 to carve out a more ownable, competitive space in the consumer packaged goods industry for their category-changing offering. Crafting a new name, positioning strategy, messaging plan, identity program, and packaging system from the ground-up, Wilder Fields is now an undoubted leader in this innovative food territory.

An undiluted version of all that’s green

Leading-edge technology. Sustainable operations. A raw passion for delicious, bursting-with-flavor food.

Wilder Fields enlisted the One Design team to leverage brand and communication strategy to support their ambitious plans to nourish the world and transform local economies. The solve was two-fold, and the first step was already covered by their team: re-invent the practice of large-scale indoor vertical farming. But the second step was more elusive: re-frame greens in the minds of consumers as an exciting luxury, not a tired grocery-cart staple.

Reinventing the practice of large-scale indoor vertical farming

Working in collaboration, we crafted a brand platform to do just that: articulate their commitment to exceptionally flavored, textured, clean greens in a celebratory, emotional, and authentic way.


We believe everyone deserves greens that are better flavored, grown with incredible care, last longer, and go beyond conventional expectations.

From the Wilder Fields manifesto


Embodying a rooted, earthly joy

Considering their products today and what could eventually be, what played competitively, and the essence of their team—we collectively came to the conclusion that the name Backyard Fresh Farms no longer fit the bill.

Drawing on inspiration from the strength of the Midwest and the wonder that is Mother Nature herself, we set out to find a name that captured the totality of what Jake, James, and their team were seeking to accomplish.

A deep dive into positioning and naming possibilities

Their sustainable, clean vertical growing methods are the modern interpretation of wild-farmed fields. Their passion to bring new, exciting flavors of greens to market. The name Wilder Fields conveyed a fearlessness, a freshness, and a liveliness that said simply: We're as nature intended, but better.


“Wilder is not only spot-on for who we are and what we're doing, but it's one of the best company names I've ever heard. I'm curious immediately. I see greens and blues and vines, stretching out as far as the eye can see—endless possibility.”

CCO of Wilder Fields, James Ratke


Mother Nature, amplified

In a category saturated with juvenile illustration styles, unrefined typography, and systems lacking a strong point-of-view, Wilder Fields’ visual expression takes a confident stance wherever it’s seen.

Mixing lusciousness and precision, flourish and rigidness, the Wilder Fields wordmark is set in Voyage—modified with custom ligatures. This blend of fluidity and exactness perfectly captured Wilder’s prioritization of flavor and enjoyment while still touting their technological expertise.

The Wilder color palette was inspired by the beauty of the natural world, featuring rich, natural hues of sandstone, blue spruce, ochre, sage, and oak—sharply contrasted with a vivid, passionate persimmon.

And handful of the competition’s greens were photographed with artificial lighting, in scenarios that didn’t feel honest. We identified a photography style that celebrates what’s natural and undiluted for Wilder to own—one devoid of excessive styling or effects to amplify their greens’ beauty.


Food, and greens most specifically, warrant celebration. To be seen as exciting and a luxury, not a tired grocery-cart staple. We believe everyone deserves greens that are better flavored, grown with incredible care, last longer, and go beyond conventional expectations.

From the Wilder Fields mission


More growth on the horizon

Currently, the Wilder Fields team is building out a large-capacity production facility in an abandoned big-box storefront in Calumet City. Moving into future, expect to see Wilder Fields more widely available in stores towards the end of 2021—and in addition, more details about the rationale behind their brand narrative, messaging strategy, identity program, and packaging system.

In the meantime, check out the Wilder Fields feature on UnderConsideration's Brand New.

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One Design Company is a research-driven design and development studio. For over a decade, we’ve explored the intersection of experience and technology—where powerful brands come to life. Want to learn more? Let’s chat.

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