The Half&Half brand of pet treats and food from the Ukrainian group of companies Suziria Group, one of the national pet products market leaders, won two awards for the best design at international competitions this spring. The packaging, developed together with the branding agency DOZEN, received bronze at the NAPA BALTIC Packaging Design Awards and gold at Ukrainian Design: The Very Best Of 2024

The visual branding of Half & Half is based on the global trend towards humanizing the relationship between people and animals. The design is based on real-life situations between pet owners and their pets, which allows owners to recognize themselves and their pets in everyday and funny moments. In addition, the concept of "everything is half" reflects the essence of the brand, which conveys that a person and his or her pet are even more than friends, four-legged friends are full-fledged family members.

«An integrated approach to brand creation – from positioning and naming to packaging design – has become an important key to Half&Half's success. The idea of an emotional bond between a person and an animal inspired the DOZEN team to offer unique creative solutions. In the packaging design, we moved away from banal photos of pets and created a gallery of exciting stories about how wonderful it is when two halves live together. In total, more than 40 original packages were created», shared Olena Havryliuk, Creative Director of the DOZEN branding agency.

Less than a year after its launch on the market, the brand is already winning its first awards. In spring, at the NAPA BALTIC Packaging Design Awards in Lithuania, Half&Half took third place in the "Other products" category, where a large number of different products competed. The jury, which selected the winners, consisted of leading specialists of the Baltic marketing and creative industry.

Later, the brand received national recognition, winning gold in the "Graphic Design and Branding" category at the Ukrainian Design: The Very Best Of 2024 contest, which is part of the Ukrainian Creative Stories event. This year, the festival received 255 applications from 80 participants, and the jury consisted of professionals from Finland, Malaysia, the USA, Poland, Georgia, Germany and Bulgaria.

«We are proud that our brand is recognized both by professionals in the field of design at prestigious competitions, and by pet owners themselves. Half&Half entered the market in 2024, a year full of challenges, but already in the first month of sales we exceeded the plan by 25%, without advertising or other promotional activities. We are glad that our positioning, values and the essence of the brand resonate with pet parents, and we will continue, despite difficult times, to help them take care of and choose the best for their four-legged "halves"», — says Oleh Miroshnychenko, Head of Private Labels Department at Suziria Group.

Reference

• Half&Half — a Ukrainian brand created during a full-scale war. The product range includes treats for pets produced in Ukraine, as well as pet food produced in Europe under a private brand.
• Suziria Group is a Ukrainian family company that has been developing the pet products market for over 31 years. It specializes in nationwide distribution, development and production of its own products, as well as specialized retail. The Suziria Group team is focused on promoting pet care both in Ukraine and abroad.
• DOZEN is a branding agency whose team creates and packages brands, makes responsible design and shapes modern consumer aesthetics. The agency works with both established market leaders and young businesses.