Midday's new identity for Small Giants makes insect snacking more appealing

The original name was inspired by its initial range of gourmet crackers, made with cricket flour and with the aim to spark an exciting food revolution to help us do better for ourselves, and for the planet. Why crickets? Crickets are supposedly "super sustainable, truly wholesome and surprisingly delicious". And compared to cattle, crickets are also "12x more efficient to raise, have far fewer greenhouse emissions, use far less water than chickpea production, and contain way more protein than eggs," according to Midday.

Crické approached Midday to reinvent its brand with a new name, new positioning, and new identity. "This was a challenge with legs," says Midday. "Not only were we tasked with creating a premium brand for mainstream audiences. We also had to smash an ancient taboo. Although humans have been eating insects for centuries, insects as snacks are new in the west. With so few competitors, this was also a delicious opportunity to set the benchmark for an entire category."

"Making the weird, wonderful" was Midday's design strategy. Using a loud colour palette, a bold personality and an orchestra of oversized charming crickets crammed onto packs, the London firm has more than successfully turned the perceived weirdness of "eating bugs" on its head.

Midday itself admits the rebrand goes "big on weirdness" and changes "yuck to yum" with Small Giants as powerful changemakers – encouraging us all to think again about insect snack treats. The new identity is also designed to flex easily across future NPD – tortilla chips made with mealworms, as an example.

"The upcoming decade is expected to witness an unprecedented transition from traditional meat-based protein to a wider range of alternatives," adds Francesco Majno, co-founder of Small Giants. "This is led by a stronger awareness of the many problems for our health and the environment that are clearly linked with the overconsumption of traditional animal-based products. Insects are among the most promising alternatives, offering huge advantages both in terms of nutritional values and sustainability. At Small Giants, we aim at sparking a movement for an entirely new way of healthy snacking and to open consumers’ minds to the benefits of edible insects."