25 HAHN SMITH DESIGN
When Hahn Smith Design asks, in reference to its identity campaign for Gourmet Settings, “How does a small Canadian flatware company with a very limited marketing budget compete with housewares giants?” it’s safe to assume the question is rhetorical.

The Gourmet Settings program, comprised of packaging, a catalog, press folders, stationery, business cards and a website, employs bold graphics and cheeky, no-nonsense copywriting to make a direct, emotional connection with the consumer. While Hahn Smith has worked with Gourmet Settings for seven years, the identity program took shape more recently as the designers urged the client to contemplate an entirely new look. “As we’ve grown, they’ve grown with us,” says Gourmet Settings president Hildy Abrams. “But it was a conscious decision to remake our identity, one that Hahn Smith pushed us to.” Designers and client shared a key element that helps to make the identity unique: humor. “We want to laugh at ourselves, too,” says Abrams, adding, “It’s only a fork, right?”

The intimate tone embedded in the identity is nothing short of deliberate: Hahn Smith co-principal Alison Hahn says, “Hildy Abrams is truly committed to bringing a dash of joy to people’s everyday lives ... the in-store presence [in packaging and other elements] is how we talk to the consumer.” And Hahn Smith’s unabashed fascination with the retail environment has resulted in work that’s driving Gourmet Setting’s competitors to emulate its style. “A lot of people are knocking us off,” notes Abrams. “I guess there’s a compliment in there somewhere, isn’t there?” by Tom Biederbeck

Hahn Smith Design
CREATIVE DIRECTORS: Alison Hahn, Nigel Smith
DESIGNERS: Tearney McMurtry, Stéphane Monnet, Leo Jung, Brian Kroeker
PHOTOGRAPHERS: Brian Sano, Bob Gundu, Folia Studios, Stéphane Monnet
WEB DEVELOPER: Matt Burtch
COPYWRITERS: Hahn Smith Design
CLIENT: Gourmet Settings
CONTACT: www.hahnsmithdesign.com