Every nut brand seems to arrive with a squirrel. It’s familiar, safe, and instantly understood which is exactly why I explored it first. I tried a clean squirrel silhouette, then a more character-led version built around hoarding and attitude. Both worked. Neither felt ownable. A squirrel on a nut brand wasn’t really a decision; it was the category default. The stronger idea came from shifting the focus away from the ingredient itself and onto the experience of eating it.

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Nutsy is about the reaction: the hit of spice, the unpredictability of the mix, and that moment where you’re already reaching for another handful before recovering from the last.

That led to the cat. The mascot is built around mischief rather than cuteness. Its split face creates two personalities at once: one side composed, the other slightly unhinged. The spiral eye exaggerates the sensory hit of spice, while the narrow eye adds curiosity and anticipation.

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The tongue became the final detail that gave the mark its attitude a small gesture that makes the character feel like it has just eaten something it probably shouldn’t have. The black and saturated red split translates the contrast of control and chaos directly into the identity.

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Typography stays deliberately soft and rounded. Instead of matching the spicy positioning with aggressive or jagged forms, the type keeps the brand approachable while the mascot carries the disruption.

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Scalability was also important. The face needed to stay recognisable on everything from large retail graphics to small packs and digital thumbnails, so the identity relies on bold expression rather than fine detail.