First Milk, a 700-member-owned dairy co-operative made a shift to commit to sustainability, regenerative practices, and responsible dairy farming. However, their previous identity struggled to highlight these values, especially in a B2B setting.  KISS was entrusted to help communicate this new positioning.

The studio aimed to future-proof the brand and design a visual identity that balances science and nature, supporting regeneration without greenwashing. The key leadership team went through a carefully crafted brand strategy workshop to align on language and creative direction, resulting in the proposition of ‘regenerate through every drop’. Every action in the dairy business should be backed by regenerative thinking, filtering all the way down to the milk. 

Once verbal clarity was achieved with First Milk, we dug deeper to define their business visual communications. By analysing their members’ relationships, brand vision, and business activities, we were able to determine what aspects of the current brand should remain such as retaining their existing name. However there was an opportunity to refresh the existing logotype to incorporate the narrative of milk and regenerative agriculture.

The renewed logotype was carefully crafted, incorporating the symbols of a milk drop and leaf. To push the brand forward, having a logotype that doesn’t sit in a square shape enables a lot more flexibility and conveys modernity. Moving away from ‘the farmers business’ to the ‘The Regenerative co-op’ sign off enables the business to reinforce the proposition. 

The drop and leaf shape has served as inspiration for the architecture of our master brand. By building our entire graphic suite off the logo, we have been able to maintain brand consistency in every touchpoint. Our flexible system caters to all formats, creating a strong and cohesive brand experience across the business. This is something that was missing previously and we are thrilled to have achieved it through a strong brand system.

First Milk’s new brand colours are more than just a visual update. Inspired by the lush landscapes of their farms, the deep green represents regenerative methods, while white symbolizes milk’s purity and quality. The rich tones of the broader range of colours allow for variation in the brand without feeling overbranded. Additionally, the new colours enable internal segmenting for different aspects of the business.

A key form of internal communication for First Milk is explaining principles of regenerative farming. As part of the redesign of the icon suite, the shapes were influenced by the leaf and milk droplet shapes, allowing for consistency with the rest of the brand architecture.

KISS provided creative direction for a new photo and film shoot of their farms and manufacturing sites – capturing the values of First Milk – the warmth of its people, animals, and quality-driven processes. The revised colour theory was brought through the images and video footage, capturing the depth and richness a regenerative cooperative offers. 

The new brand can be applied across all touchpoints from annual reports to website comms ensuring the spirit of ‘regenerate through every drop’ shines through in all aspects of the identity.