Pondicheri is an institution. A restaurant by the James Beard Award nominee Anita Jaisinghani, it is Houston’s favourite Indian hang out. We got the opportunity to work with Pondicheri to bring life to their new Snack Mix range for the Whole Foods Market shelves. These flavours are as vibrant and individualistic as the cities by which they are inspired - Bombay, Delhi and Kolkata.
Our early moodboards and discussions kept bringing up the distinct architectural qualities that each city boasts of. Since Anita was keen to have a young girl as the brand mascot, we decided to make her travel around the country and add some wanderlust into what would be a brand new snack discovery for American consumer.
THE MASCOT:
We started out with building the mascot for Pondicheri as a young woman with broadly South Asian features. Eventually, she was modelled after Anita's daughter, Ajna, in order to add a personal connection to the story of the brand.
THE ARCHITECTURE:
The architecture of the three cities have very distinct influences that are visible to this day. While Delhi is adorned with arches and intricate adornments inspired by Mughal patterns, Bombay has been defined as “a glittering Art Deco sweep … not even Rome could boast.” Kolkata hides sprawling colonial structures among dense apartment buildings. Using these architectural cues was an effective way of creating three identifiable urban landscapes.
Bombay: Rechristened Mumbai, this city is a concoction of a myriad stories of dreams and struggles. The one through its many socio-economic differences is the privilege of catching a moment's calm by the Sea Face. With the blues and greens of the Arabian Sea, we created a serene scenery for this piquant seaside mix.
Delhi: Reds and maroons from the majestic sandstone edifices of Delhi form the basis of this pouch as our mascot strolls leisurely through a centuries-old garden steeped in history and adventure.
Kolkata: Formerly British Calcutta, this city has retained its unhurried pace and old-world charm. Pinks and yellows were chosen to convey this - life as viewed through a vintage photo filter as our mascot enjoys a lazy afternoon chai, watching a tram scuttle by.
Pondicheri is an institution. A restaurant by the James Beard Award nominee Anita Jaisinghani, it is Houston’s favourite Indian hang out. We got the opportunity to work with Pondicheri to bring life to their new Snack Mix range for the Whole Foods Market shelves. These flavours are as vibrant and individualistic as the cities by which they are inspired - Bombay, Delhi and Kolkata.
Our early moodboards and discussions kept bringing up the distinct architectural qualities that each city boasts of. Since Anita was keen to have a young girl as the brand mascot, we decided to make her travel around the country and add some wanderlust into what would be a brand new snack discovery for American consumer.
THE MASCOT:
We started out with building the mascot for Pondicheri as a young woman with broadly South Asian features. Eventually, she was modelled after Anita's daughter, Ajna, in order to add a personal connection to the story of the brand.
THE ARCHITECTURE:
The architecture of the three cities have very distinct influences that are visible to this day. While Delhi is adorned with arches and intricate adornments inspired by Mughal patterns, Bombay has been defined as “a glittering Art Deco sweep … not even Rome could boast.” Kolkata hides sprawling colonial structures among dense apartment buildings. Using these architectural cues was an effective way of creating three identifiable urban landscapes.
Bombay: Rechristened Mumbai, this city is a concoction of a myriad stories of dreams and struggles. The one through its many socio-economic differences is the privilege of catching a moment's calm by the Sea Face. With the blues and greens of the Arabian Sea, we created a serene scenery for this piquant seaside mix.
Delhi: Reds and maroons from the majestic sandstone edifices of Delhi form the basis of this pouch as our mascot strolls leisurely through a centuries-old garden steeped in history and adventure.
Kolkata: Formerly British Calcutta, this city has retained its unhurried pace and old-world charm. Pinks and yellows were chosen to convey this - life as viewed through a vintage photo filter as our mascot enjoys a lazy afternoon chai, watching a tram scuttle by.
