Images from the packaging case study by Gander

Magic Spoon

saturday cartoon cereal for grown-ups

Magic Spoon packages high-protein cereal, pastries, treats, oatmeal and granola like a kids' cereal aisle, with a fixed front grid that every flavour fills in its own saturated colour. The heavy squared two-line wordmark always sits top left, a column of oversized nutrition numerals (grams of protein, sugar, net carbs) runs down the top right, and the product line in condensed caps sits under the wordmark. The lower front shows flat cartoon characters on the cereal or glossy close-up food photography on newer lines, the flavour name sits in a rounded sans in the bottom corner, and the box sides fade through bright two-colour gradients carrying a run-on line of playful copy. Packs are sold fanned in multipacks of four to eight.

https://magicspoon.com Explore the brand

Snacks & cereal
Light pack
Playful colour
Bold typographic
Colour-coded range

Color Palette

Approximate colours interpreted from photography. These are screen references, not official brand colours or print specifications.

Pack body

Frosting Cream
#f1e8cf
Front panel ground of the birthday cake cereal box

Ink

Stat Navy
#1e2470
Oversized nutrition numerals, their labels and the product line on light cartons
Carton White
#ffffff
Wordmark and product line reversed out on saturated cartons

Accent

Party Pink
#e8417f
Wordmark and flavour name on the cereal, character clothing
Side Turquoise
#2bbcb3
End of the pink-to-turquoise gradient on carton side panels
Badge Maroon
#6b1e2e
Small corner panel behind the nutrition column on treats cartons

Range coding

Oat Lavender
#b9a6ea
Carton colour of the protein oatmeal line and the salted caramel treats
Grape Purple
#a443c9
Double chocolate cereal treats carton and wrapper
Strawberry Red
#f22b3e
Frosted strawberry pastries carton
Cinnamon Orange
#f27a1a
Cinnamon brown sugar pastries carton
Mallow Yellow
#efe35b
Marshmallow treats carton and the yellow end of the granola pouch gradient

Typography

Suggested visual alternatives, not confirmed brand typefaces. Any scale below is an illustrative estimate.

The wordmark is biggest, stacked on two lines top left; nutrition numerals are almost as tall and stacked top right; the product line sits under the wordmark in condensed caps, and the flavour name sits in a rounded sans near the food image in the bottom corner.

Type scale

Estimated cap size as a share of the panel · Front panel of the 7 oz cereal box, about 230 mm tall

wordmark
11% · Black · Display
STAR BOWL
stat-numeral
8% · Black · Numeral
14g
product-line
3.5% · Bold · Headline
PROTEIN PASTRIES
flavour-name
3.2% · ExtraBold · Body
Maple Waffle
side-copy
2% · Regular · Body
Crunchy-Sweet-Keto-Friendly-Totally-Breakfast
stat-label
1.6% · Bold · Numeral
NET CARBS

Fonts

Display
Archivo Black
Looks like
Obviously Narrow Black, Haas Grotesk Display Black
Type
Heavy squared grotesque, slightly condensed
Weight
Black
Case
Uppercase
Tracking
Tight, about -2%
Fallback
Helvetica Neue Black, Arial Black
Wordmark only, two stacked words, flavour colour on cream or white on saturated cartons.
Headline
Oswald
Looks like
Bebas Neue, Oswald Bold
Type
Condensed bold grotesque
Weight
Bold
Case
Uppercase
Tracking
Slightly open, about +2%
Fallback
Impact, Arial Narrow Bold
Product line (protein pastries, treats, oatmeal, grain-free cereal) directly under the wordmark.
Numeral
Jost
Looks like
Futura Bold, Avenir Black
Type
Bold geometric sans numerals
Weight
Bold, Black
Case
Numerals with small uppercase labels
Tracking
Tight
Fallback
Futura, Avenir Black
Grams of protein, sugar and net carbs stacked in a column at the top right, with tiny g and labels.
Body
Nunito
Looks like
Nunito ExtraBold, Gilroy Bold
Type
Rounded bold sans
Weight
ExtraBold, Regular
Case
Title case
Tracking
Normal
Fallback
Arial Rounded, Helvetica
Flavour name in the bottom corner, run-on side-panel copy and back-panel text.

Structure & Proportions

Proportions

Purpose	Value	Preview
Wordmark block	About 55% of front width, top left
Nutrition column	About 15% of front width, top right
Image area	About 60% of front height, lower panel
Top margin	About 5% of front height
Colour coverage	Full bleed, 100% of the carton in the flavour colour
Colours per front	Flavour colour, white or navy, plus the image	—
Density	Busy and loud: type top, image bottom, no empty zones	—

Shapes

Element	Value	Preview
Carton	Upright rectangle carton, flat colour
Nutrition panel	Tall rounded rectangle behind the stat column
Flavour tag	Small rounded banner holding the flavour
Spoon badge	Small round seal on the side panel

Finishes

Matte printed board
Cartons · matte
Glossy printed film
Bar wrappers and granola pouches · gloss
Metallised film
Inner wrappers of pastries and treats · metallic

Formats and materials


Formats	Cereal carton, Snack carton, Individually wrapped bar, Stand-up pouch, Multipack of four to eight cartons
Materials	Paperboard, Flexible film
Closures	Tuck-end cartons; flow-wrapped bars; zip-top stand-up pouches for granola
Decoration	Full-bleed flat colour, Colour gradients on sides and pouches, Flat cartoon illustration, Food photography, Navy nutrition panel

Front Panel

Schematic reading order. The diagram’s zone heights do not represent measured artwork proportions.

A fixed front grid repeated on every flavour: wordmark block top left, nutrition column top right, image in the lower two thirds, flavour name bottom corner.

Zone	Content
Top left	Stacked wordmark and product line
Top right	Column of big nutrition numerals, sometimes in a navy or maroon panel
Lower front	Cartoon characters or close-up food photography
Bottom corner	Flavour name and net weight
Side panel	Gradient ground with run-on benefits copy and a small spoon badge

Range System

Colour coding by flavour within a fixed grid: each flavour owns one saturated carton colour, and each product line keeps its own descriptor and image type, while the wordmark and nutrition column never move.

Birthday cake cereal = cream front + pink wordmark + cartoon characters
Strawberry pastries = red carton
Cinnamon pastries = orange carton
Double chocolate treats = purple carton
Marshmallow treats = yellow carton
Oatmeal = lavender carton, green or yellow flavour panel
Granola = blue-to-yellow gradient pouch

Back of Pack & Shelf

The back continues the flavour colour with a large white nutrition facts box, a short brand story in rounded type and a net-carb equation strip; sides run gradient grounds.

Nutrition facts box in black on white
Ingredient list and allergen statement under it
Net carbs equation strip (carbs minus fibre minus allulose)
Short playful brand story paragraph
Barcode, best-by area and recycling marks

On shelf

Fanned multipacks make a row of identical grids, and adjacent flavours stack into a rainbow of flat cartons; the giant numerals read from across the aisle.

Imagery

Flat, bold-coloured cartoon characters with simple shapes on the cereal, and glossy close-up food photography (stacked pastries, bars, oatmeal bowls) on newer lines, cut out and overlapping the carton base.

Guidelines

Do

Give every flavour one saturated full-bleed carton colour (for example #f22b3e).
Stack the heavy squared wordmark on two lines at about 55% of front width, top left.
Run oversized nutrition numerals (Numeral) in a column down the top right.
Fill the lower 60% of the front with flat cartoon characters or cut-out food photography.
Fade side panels through a bright two-colour gradient with playful run-on copy.
Sell multipacks by fanning four or more identical cartons in a row.

Don't

Don't use muted, earthy or kraft colours.
Don't move the wordmark or nutrition column between flavours.
Don't use serif type anywhere.
Don't make the nutrition numbers small; they are a headline.
Don't use realistic illustration; characters stay flat and graphic.

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# Magic Spoon — Pack Style > saturday cartoon cereal for grown-ups **Category:** Food · **Tier:** Mid · **Origin:** US · **Theme:** light **Source:** https://magicspoon.com Colours are estimated from product photography (screen values, not print specifications). Proportions and type scales are visual estimates, not measured manufacturing dimensions. Typefaces are lookalikes, not identified fonts. Magic Spoon packages high-protein cereal, pastries, treats, oatmeal and granola like a kids' cereal aisle, with a fixed front grid that every flavour fills in its own saturated colour. The heavy squared two-line wordmark always sits top left, a column of oversized nutrition numerals (grams of protein, sugar, net carbs) runs down the top right, and the product line in condensed caps sits under the wordmark. The lower front shows flat cartoon characters on the cereal or glossy close-up food photography on newer lines, the flavour name sits in a rounded sans in the bottom corner, and the box sides fade through bright two-colour gradients carrying a run-on line of playful copy. Packs are sold fanned in multipacks of four to eight. ## Tokens — Colors | Name | Value | Token | Group | Role | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Frosting Cream | `#f1e8cf` | `--color-frosting-cream` | Pack body | Front panel ground of the birthday cake cereal box | | Stat Navy | `#1e2470` | `--color-stat-navy` | Ink | Oversized nutrition numerals, their labels and the product line on light cartons | | Carton White | `#ffffff` | `--color-carton-white` | Ink | Wordmark and product line reversed out on saturated cartons | | Party Pink | `#e8417f` | `--color-party-pink` | Accent | Wordmark and flavour name on the cereal, character clothing | | Side Turquoise | `#2bbcb3` | `--color-side-turquoise` | Accent | End of the pink-to-turquoise gradient on carton side panels | | Badge Maroon | `#6b1e2e` | `--color-badge-maroon` | Accent | Small corner panel behind the nutrition column on treats cartons | | Oat Lavender | `#b9a6ea` | `--color-oat-lavender` | Range coding | Carton colour of the protein oatmeal line and the salted caramel treats | | Grape Purple | `#a443c9` | `--color-grape-purple` | Range coding | Double chocolate cereal treats carton and wrapper | | Strawberry Red | `#f22b3e` | `--color-strawberry-red` | Range coding | Frosted strawberry pastries carton | | Cinnamon Orange | `#f27a1a` | `--color-cinnamon-orange` | Range coding | Cinnamon brown sugar pastries carton | | Mallow Yellow | `#efe35b` | `--color-mallow-yellow` | Range coding | Marshmallow treats carton and the yellow end of the granola pouch gradient | ## Tokens — Typography The wordmark is biggest, stacked on two lines top left; nutrition numerals are almost as tall and stacked top right; the product line sits under the wordmark in condensed caps, and the flavour name sits in a rounded sans near the food image in the bottom corner. ### Display — Obviously Narrow Black, Haas Grotesk Display Black · `--font-display` - **Classification:** Heavy squared grotesque, slightly condensed - **Free lookalike:** Archivo Black (Google Fonts) - **Fallback:** Helvetica Neue Black, Arial Black - **Weights:** Black - **Case:** Uppercase - **Tracking:** Tight, about -2% - **Role:** Wordmark only, two stacked words, flavour colour on cream or white on saturated cartons. ### Headline — Bebas Neue, Oswald Bold · `--font-headline` - **Classification:** Condensed bold grotesque - **Free lookalike:** Oswald (Google Fonts) - **Fallback:** Impact, Arial Narrow Bold - **Weights:** Bold - **Case:** Uppercase - **Tracking:** Slightly open, about +2% - **Role:** Product line (protein pastries, treats, oatmeal, grain-free cereal) directly under the wordmark. ### Numeral — Futura Bold, Avenir Black · `--font-numeral` - **Classification:** Bold geometric sans numerals - **Free lookalike:** Jost (Google Fonts) - **Fallback:** Futura, Avenir Black - **Weights:** Bold, Black - **Case:** Numerals with small uppercase labels - **Tracking:** Tight - **Role:** Grams of protein, sugar and net carbs stacked in a column at the top right, with tiny g and labels. ### Body — Nunito ExtraBold, Gilroy Bold · `--font-body` - **Classification:** Rounded bold sans - **Free lookalike:** Nunito (Google Fonts) - **Fallback:** Arial Rounded, Helvetica - **Weights:** ExtraBold, Regular - **Case:** Title case - **Tracking:** Normal - **Role:** Flavour name in the bottom corner, run-on side-panel copy and back-panel text. ### Type Scale Sizes are cap height as a share of the reference panel: Front panel of the 7 oz cereal box, about 230 mm tall. | Role | Font | Weight | Size | Case | Token | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | wordmark | Display | Black | 11% of panel height | Uppercase | `--text-wordmark` | | stat-numeral | Numeral | Black | 8% of panel height | Numerals | `--text-stat-numeral` | | product-line | Headline | Bold | 3.5% of panel height | Uppercase | `--text-product-line` | | flavour-name | Body | ExtraBold | 3.2% of panel height | Title case | `--text-flavour-name` | | side-copy | Body | Regular | 2% of panel height | Title case | `--text-side-copy` | | stat-label | Numeral | Bold | 1.6% of panel height | Uppercase | `--text-stat-label` | | net-weight | Body | Regular | 1.5% of panel height | Uppercase | `--text-net-weight` | ## Structure & Materials - **Formats:** Cereal carton, Snack carton, Individually wrapped bar, Stand-up pouch, Multipack of four to eight cartons - **Materials:** Paperboard, Flexible film - **Closures:** Tuck-end cartons; flow-wrapped bars; zip-top stand-up pouches for granola - **Decoration:** Full-bleed flat colour, Colour gradients on sides and pouches, Flat cartoon illustration, Food photography, Navy nutrition panel ### Proportions | Purpose | Value | | --- | --- | | Wordmark block | About 55% of front width, top left | | Nutrition column | About 15% of front width, top right | | Image area | About 60% of front height, lower panel | | Top margin | About 5% of front height | | Colour coverage | Full bleed, 100% of the carton in the flavour colour | | Colours per front | Flavour colour, white or navy, plus the image | | Density | Busy and loud: type top, image bottom, no empty zones | ### Shapes | Element | Shape | | --- | --- | | Carton | Upright rectangle carton, flat colour | | Nutrition panel | Tall rounded rectangle behind the stat column | | Flavour tag | Small rounded banner holding the flavour | | Spoon badge | Small round seal on the side panel | ### Finishes | Finish | Where | Look | | --- | --- | --- | | Matte printed board | Cartons | matte | | Glossy printed film | Bar wrappers and granola pouches | gloss | | Metallised film | Inner wrappers of pastries and treats | metallic | ## Pack Elements ### Stacked wordmark **Role:** Brand block Heavy squared grotesque on two lines, about 55% of front width, top left; white on saturated cartons, flavour colour on cream. ### Nutrition column **Role:** Claim headline Three oversized numerals with tiny caps labels stacked top right, about 8% of front height each, sometimes on a navy or maroon rounded panel. ### Product line **Role:** Category Condensed bold caps directly under the wordmark at about a third of its size. ### Image panel **Role:** Hero Lower 60% of the front: flat cartoon characters on cereal, or cut-out food photography overlapping the base on pastries and treats. ### Flavour name **Role:** Variant Rounded bold title case in the bottom corner, sometimes in a small rounded tag. ### Gradient side panel **Role:** Voice Two-colour vertical gradient (pink to turquoise) with a narrow run-on hyphenated benefit list ending in a joke. ### Fan multipack **Role:** Merchandising Four to eight identical cartons fanned in a row, front carton fully visible, others showing only their spines. ## Do's and Don'ts ### Do - Give every flavour one saturated full-bleed carton colour (for example #f22b3e). - Stack the heavy squared wordmark on two lines at about 55% of front width, top left. - Run oversized nutrition numerals (Numeral) in a column down the top right. - Fill the lower 60% of the front with flat cartoon characters or cut-out food photography. - Fade side panels through a bright two-colour gradient with playful run-on copy. - Sell multipacks by fanning four or more identical cartons in a row. ### Don't - Don't use muted, earthy or kraft colours. - Don't move the wordmark or nutrition column between flavours. - Don't use serif type anywhere. - Don't make the nutrition numbers small; they are a headline. - Don't use realistic illustration; characters stay flat and graphic. ## Surfaces | Level | Name | Value | Purpose | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 0 | Strawberry Red | `#f22b3e` | Full-bleed carton colour for one flavour | | 1 | Badge Maroon | `#6b1e2e` | Panel behind the nutrition column | | 2 | Carton White | `#ffffff` | Reversed wordmark and stat numerals | ## Front Panel Layout A fixed front grid repeated on every flavour: wordmark block top left, nutrition column top right, image in the lower two thirds, flavour name bottom corner. | Zone | Content | | --- | --- | | Top left | Stacked wordmark and product line | | Top right | Column of big nutrition numerals, sometimes in a navy or maroon panel | | Lower front | Cartoon characters or close-up food photography | | Bottom corner | Flavour name and net weight | | Side panel | Gradient ground with run-on benefits copy and a small spoon badge | ## Range System Colour coding by flavour within a fixed grid: each flavour owns one saturated carton colour, and each product line keeps its own descriptor and image type, while the wordmark and nutrition column never move. - Birthday cake cereal = cream front + pink wordmark + cartoon characters - Strawberry pastries = red carton - Cinnamon pastries = orange carton - Double chocolate treats = purple carton - Marshmallow treats = yellow carton - Oatmeal = lavender carton, green or yellow flavour panel - Granola = blue-to-yellow gradient pouch ## Back of Pack The back continues the flavour colour with a large white nutrition facts box, a short brand story in rounded type and a net-carb equation strip; sides run gradient grounds. - Nutrition facts box in black on white - Ingredient list and allergen statement under it - Net carbs equation strip (carbs minus fibre minus allulose) - Short playful brand story paragraph - Barcode, best-by area and recycling marks ## Imagery Flat, bold-coloured cartoon characters with simple shapes on the cereal, and glossy close-up food photography (stacked pastries, bars, oatmeal bowls) on newer lines, cut out and overlapping the carton base. ## On Shelf Fanned multipacks make a row of identical grids, and adjacent flavours stack into a rainbow of flat cartons; the giant numerals read from across the aisle. ## Agent Prompt Guide Quick Color Reference: - Frosting Cream: #f1e8cf — Front panel ground of the birthday cake cereal box - Party Pink: #e8417f — Wordmark and flavour name on the cereal, character clothing - Side Turquoise: #2bbcb3 — End of the pink-to-turquoise gradient on carton side panels - Stat Navy: #1e2470 — Oversized nutrition numerals, their labels and the product line on light cartons - Carton White: #ffffff — Wordmark and product line reversed out on saturated cartons - Oat Lavender: #b9a6ea — Carton colour of the protein oatmeal line and the salted caramel treats - Grape Purple: #a443c9 — Double chocolate cereal treats carton and wrapper - Strawberry Red: #f22b3e — Frosted strawberry pastries carton - Cinnamon Orange: #f27a1a — Cinnamon brown sugar pastries carton - Mallow Yellow: #efe35b — Marshmallow treats carton and the yellow end of the granola pouch gradient - Badge Maroon: #6b1e2e — Small corner panel behind the nutrition column on treats cartons Create a cereal carton front in pale frosting cream (#f1e8cf) with an original heavy squared two-line wordmark in party pink (#e8417f) at top left, about 55% of the front width. Stack three oversized bold geometric numerals with tiny caps labels in navy (#1e2470) down the top right corner. Put a condensed bold caps product line under the wordmark and a rounded bold flavour name in the bottom corner. Fill the lower 60% with a flat bold cartoon of a smiling character riding a bird in pink, yellow, turquoise and purple. Make a matching red (#f22b3e) pastry carton in the same grid with the wordmark reversed in white and a cut-out stack of frosted pastries overlapping the base. Image prompt: Product photo of a new grown-up breakfast cereal brand in a saturday-cartoon style: a fan of four identical cartons, the front panel in pale frosting cream with a heavy squared two-line wordmark in hot pink at top left, a condensed uppercase product line beneath it, a column of oversized navy nutrition numerals with tiny labels at top right, and a flat bold cartoon of a smiling character riding a bird in pink, yellow, turquoise and purple filling the lower front; the side panels fade from pink to turquoise with narrow run-on copy. Next to it a red carton of the same layout for another flavour and a zip pouch with a blue-to-yellow gradient. Matte board, flat colour. Clean white background, bright even light, packshot photography. Invent an original brand name and artwork; do not reproduce existing logos. ## Similar Brands - **Catalina Crunch** — Also a grown-up low-sugar cereal with bright flavour colours and big protein numbers, using a simpler flat graphic without cartoons. - **Kellogg's Froot Loops** — The kids' cereal codes it borrows: mascot illustration, saturated carton, bold wordmark at top. - **Legendary Foods** — Protein pastries with a nutrition-first front and food photography, in darker, louder colour blocks. - **Lesser Evil** — Better-for-you snacks with one bright colour per flavour and playful copy, but softer illustration and rounded type. ## Quick Start ### CSS Custom Properties ```css /* Colours are estimated from product photography (screen values, not print specifications). Proportions and type scales are visual estimates, not measured manufacturing dimensions. Typefaces are lookalikes, not identified fonts. */ :root { /* Colors */ --color-frosting-cream: #f1e8cf; --color-party-pink: #e8417f; --color-side-turquoise: #2bbcb3; --color-stat-navy: #1e2470; --color-carton-white: #ffffff; --color-oat-lavender: #b9a6ea; --color-grape-purple: #a443c9; --color-strawberry-red: #f22b3e; --color-cinnamon-orange: #f27a1a; --color-mallow-yellow: #efe35b; --color-badge-maroon: #6b1e2e; /* Typography — families (free lookalikes) */ --font-display: 'Archivo Black', 'Helvetica Neue Black', 'Arial Black'; --font-headline: 'Oswald', Impact, 'Arial Narrow Bold'; --font-numeral: 'Jost', Futura, 'Avenir Black'; --font-body: 'Nunito', 'Arial Rounded', Helvetica; /* Typography — illustrative scale, as a share of the panel (Front panel of the 7 oz cereal box, about 230 mm tall) */ --panel-height: 230mm; --text-wordmark: calc(var(--panel-height) * 0.11); --text-stat-numeral: calc(var(--panel-height) * 0.08); --text-product-line: calc(var(--panel-height) * 0.035); --text-flavour-name: calc(var(--panel-height) * 0.032); --text-side-copy: calc(var(--panel-height) * 0.02); --text-stat-label: calc(var(--panel-height) * 0.016); --text-net-weight: calc(var(--panel-height) * 0.015); /* Proportions */ --wordmark-block: 55%; --nutrition-column: 15%; --image-area: 60%; --top-margin: 5%; --colour-coverage: 100%; /* Surfaces */ --surface-strawberry-red: #f22b3e; --surface-badge-maroon: #6b1e2e; --surface-carton-white: #ffffff; } ``` ### Tailwind v4 ```css /* Colours are estimated from product photography (screen values, not print specifications). Proportions and type scales are visual estimates, not measured manufacturing dimensions. Typefaces are lookalikes, not identified fonts. */ @theme { /* Colors */ --color-frosting-cream: #f1e8cf; --color-party-pink: #e8417f; --color-side-turquoise: #2bbcb3; --color-stat-navy: #1e2470; --color-carton-white: #ffffff; --color-oat-lavender: #b9a6ea; --color-grape-purple: #a443c9; --color-strawberry-red: #f22b3e; --color-cinnamon-orange: #f27a1a; --color-mallow-yellow: #efe35b; --color-badge-maroon: #6b1e2e; /* Typography — families (free lookalikes) */ --font-display: 'Archivo Black', 'Helvetica Neue Black', 'Arial Black'; --font-headline: 'Oswald', Impact, 'Arial Narrow Bold'; --font-numeral: 'Jost', Futura, 'Avenir Black'; --font-body: 'Nunito', 'Arial Rounded', Helvetica; /* Typography — illustrative scale, as a share of the panel (Front panel of the 7 oz cereal box, about 230 mm tall) */ --panel-height: 230mm; --text-wordmark: calc(var(--panel-height) * 0.11); --text-stat-numeral: calc(var(--panel-height) * 0.08); --text-product-line: calc(var(--panel-height) * 0.035); --text-flavour-name: calc(var(--panel-height) * 0.032); --text-side-copy: calc(var(--panel-height) * 0.02); --text-stat-label: calc(var(--panel-height) * 0.016); --text-net-weight: calc(var(--panel-height) * 0.015); /* Proportions */ --wordmark-block: 55%; --nutrition-column: 15%; --image-area: 60%; --top-margin: 5%; --colour-coverage: 100%; /* Surfaces */ } ```