Hostess Brands Modernizes Corporate Identity

LENEXA, Kans. — Hostess Brands Inc. redesigned and modernized its corporate brand identity in an effort to reflect a "thriving company positioned for long-term growth" in the fast-growing snacking segment.

The rebrand was completed in collaboration with New York-based brand design agency CBX. The company's new corporate identity reflects its "progressive, disciplined business model, agile spirit and growth mindset."

CBX designers' aim was to visually strengthen Hostess Brands' position as a transformational, growth-oriented leading snacking company positioned to capitalize on consumer trends and deliver long-term sustainable growth.

In partnership with Hostess Brands' marketing leadership, CBX reimagined the Hostess Brands corporate identity with color choices of deep, dark blue representing strength and quality, which was complemented by a rich red that signifies the heart, passion and excitement for the future of snacking.

The letterforms for the new identity are customized with flourishes on the joyful, bold, sans serif Isidora font, bringing a subtle smile to the H and a little kick to the D, R and A. The back half of the new Hostess Brands identity loops, connects and flows as a nod to the company’s speed and agility, stated a news release.

Finally, the Hostess Brands mark is capped with a new dual-tone red heart, a visual representation that honors its legacy while turning the page toward Hostess Brands' future. The finishing touch was to modify the company's name with the new term "Brands," ensuring that the new corporate identity is inclusive of both its longstanding products, as well as new brands and products, such as Voortman wafers and cookies in its portfolio.

There is no change to the Hostess consumer brand design mark, which appears across the company's iconic packaging assortment of Twinkies, CupCakes, Ding Dongs and other snack products.

"Today’s Hostess Brands is a modern, innovative, disciplined and thriving snacking company,” said Andy Callahan, president and CEO of Hostess Brands. "Over the past two years, our business has consistently achieved over 9 percent growth each quarter. We're incredibly proud of the progress we've made, and we are just getting started. At the end of the day, you can't just tell people we're a different company. You have to show them too."

CBX also augmented the new Hostess Brands corporate identity by creating a library of thousands of new photographs shot in five locations across North America, along with presentation slides and visual style guidance. Among the new content assets: the "squiggle shot," a close-up of the Hostess CupCakes icing squiggle that captures its details through macro photography. That curvature and swirl motif was then carried throughout the rest of CBX's visual system for Hostess Brands.

"What CBX created for Hostess Brands was, at heart, a balancing act," said CBX creative director Chris Cook, "combining the highly recognizable color palate with the spirit of integrity, grit and passion that sets the company apart from the category."

Lenexa-based Hostess Brands Inc. is a sweet snacks company focused on developing, manufacturing, marketing, selling and distributing products in North America under the Hostess and Voortman brands. The company produces a variety of products under the Hostess, Donettes, Twinkies, CupCakes, Ding Dongs and Zingers brand names, as well as a variety of Voortman cookies and wafers.

Based in New York and Minneapolis, the CBX agency provides brand positioning and product portfolio architecture, identity design and corporate branding, package and private label design and retail activation services. Clients include General Mills, Snapple, Hershey, Hormel Foods, J.M. Smucker Co, Hostess Brands, Land O’ Lakes, Mott’s, Kroger, Purina Mills, Celestial Seasonings, Dairy Farmers of America, Mondelez International, PepsiCo Beverages & Food, Proximo Spirits, Wawa and The Boston Beer Co.