PORTOFINO PACKAGING DESIGN
Putting Soul Back in the Dough
Portofino is a well-loved Canadian bread brand, known for doing things the right way. Their dough is slow-fermented to unlock deep, natural flavour, and they never cut corners when it comes to ingredients. This is honest bread with serious soul.
The goal was to create packaging that reflects the brand’s bold personality, unwavering quality, and proud West Coast roots. It had to feel confident, rebellious and real, just like the bread.
RESPONSIBILITES:
Packaging Design. Production Oversight. Illustration Briefing. Lead Design Director.
DESIGN DIRECTION
To bring that vision to life, we focused on bold, expressive visual language. We collaborated with a typographer to create custom hand-rendered lettering using real paint strokes. The result is type that feels alive, natural, imperfect, and unapologetically loud. This lettering became a core element across the packaging, capturing the raw, confident energy that defines Portofino.
We paired this with rough textures and a layout system that prioritizes strong presence on-shelf. Every design choice supports the story: this bread has nothing to hide. It's made with care, it’s made with purpose, and it tastes the way bread should.
Portofino doesn’t whisper. Their tone is direct, passionate, and full of conviction. The packaging leans into this voice, with messaging that challenges the status quo.
It proudly states what the brand believes in: real ingredients, real flavour, and no shortcuts. This is bread with backbone.
Bread Worth Shouting About
The final design is clean but full of character. It stands out in the supermarket aisle while staying true to Portofino’s core values. For a mass-produced product, it still feels personal and authentic. It builds on the trust the brand already has across Canada while making a clear statement: good bread should never be boring.
