Why the brand matters
Imagine walking into the supermarket. You made your grocery list with your go-to products. Yet, occasionally you find yourself coming home with something new. How does that happen? How did that one product catch your eye? Although many consumers claim to base their decisions on the ingredient list and nutritional values, research has shown that we are strongly and often unconsciously influenced by the look and feel of a product's packaging.
As Lentl is a young independent brand, our products will be "new" to most supermarket shoppers. On top of that, we have a big vision: to make lentils a staple in Western diets. This means that we are not just focussing on a niche customer group. We are in it to reach the masses. To achieve that, we need really strong story telling. Not only through words, but through powerful visuals.
The necessary messy start
When I started working on Lentl full-time in January 2025, I made it a priority to come up with a strong brand identity. Yet, as I am bootstrapping, I had to set the rule that for everything I can do myself, I will not hire people to do it for me. So that means that I also first need to try to do it myself.
Yet, I started with absolutely zero knowledge about branding. It was that serious, that I had to start with googling "what's the difference between branding and marketing". Once I understood that, I started reading about color theory and playing around with Canva. This led to a decent first basic brand identity, which to my surprise many people seemed to love.
Still, I felt like something was missing. There was no strategy behind the brand identity I developed, and I knew it was not going to help me achieve my mission and vision. It was just something that "looked nice". So after a few months, I decided to bring in the experts.
Looking for the right designers
In March 2025, I asked my Instagram followers via my stories if anyone knew a graphic designer, preferably with experience in food. I reached out to a variety of designers; from fresh graphic design graduates to highly experienced agencies who had worked with top food-industry clients.
After having had about five introduction calls, I knew exactly what I wanted: a designer who cared about strategy, who had a track-record of creating tailored brand identities (not just apply their house-style), and someone who would go bold. Additionally, I hoped to find someone who shared my love for daring North American brands.
Finding the perfect match
To my luck, I found an agency that ticked all the boxes: andhüman. (Seriously—check out their website, the brands they've created are lit!)
The founder, Ala Ho, is a young and ambitious female entrepreneur, and I immediately felt a great connection with her. She grew up in Poland and studied in both Switzerland and the US, giving her the perfect blend of cultural perspectives to create bold, North-America-inspired brands that still resonate beautifully in Europe.
Doing the homework first
Before andhüman could begin developing the brand identity, I had a lot of groundwork to do. I researched food market trends, conducted 50+ consumer interviews, and analyzed the competitive landscape. I thought about my ideal customer persona, what space I wanted to take up in the market, and the value I could bring.
My research led to the conclusion that lentils are currently (and wrongfully) perceived as bland, unexciting, cheap, basic, uninspiring, boring, and “healthy but a must.” So we knew that the new brand's main task would be to change that. The brand identity should give lentils the reputation they deserve: delicious, sustainable, versatile, comforting, fun, good, healthy, and a food that brings people together.
The brand reveal
After weeks of meetings, workshops, and brainstorm sessions, it was finally time for the brand reveal. I had given them a mood board of what I liked, but we agreed that the best results would come from giving them full creative freedom. So I had no idea what to expect.
At the start of June, during an online meeting when they revealed the brand, I was completely shocked. I remember feeling incredibly uncomfortable, unsure how to react, and very much pulled out of my comfort zone. But after letting it sink in for a day, I realized it was actually the best thing that could have happened. andhüman's art director, Ania Martowska, had created something I would have never come up with myself. She truly helped the humble lentil finally step into the main-character energy it deserves.
The brand grew on me fast, and before long, it felt absolutely right.
Why it took 6 more months
In a start-up, timing is everything. Especially for a major project like this. At first, I planned to reveal the brand before the voting period for the Luzerner Kantonalbank Zukunftspreis. But collecting votes took much more effort than expected, and it just didn’t feel right to rush the launch. The product also wasn’t ready for sales yet, and I knew customers would expect the sales kickoff to follow shortly after the brand reveal.
So I shifted my approach. Over the past months, I focused on making Lentl more well-known by attending industry events and growing our social media following. At the same time, I worked hard on fine-tuning the product's recipe, designing the packaging, and organizing production and logistics.
That’s why, now, on 30 November 2025, it finally feels like the perfect moment to reveal the brand.
What I hope to achieve
It’s my hope that with this brand, anyone who already loves lentils will love them even more, and that those who haven’t discovered their greatness yet will be intrigued to give them a try.
But I also know the brand isn’t what will make you stay, my dear customers. What will keep you coming back is the incredible taste of our products, and the fact that you can enjoy them fully and without regrets.
And I promise you: we’ve got that part covered, too.
