Through a careful analysis we came upon the key idea behind the brand. This became the idiosyncratic Arkhangelsk region, replete with its own unique characteristics, culture and character. The special atmosphere of the Russian north is a rich theme of endless emotional depth. Vibrant color, vibrant style and vibrant people, who are at once simple and uncommonly original; people who are proud to live in their own particular region but can also laugh at themselves light heartedly. The Northern Lights used as a lantern, bears selling cigarettes, old women gleefully chopping wood—these are the ordinary miracles that make the whole region extraordinary. In the branding process we drew inspiration from the works of northern storytellers S. G. Pisakhov and B. V. Shergin, as well as animated films based on their stories and directed by Leonid Nosyrev with voice work by Evgeny Leonov.

The brand positioning was formulated as “The source of a modern fairytale spirit,” because “if our region is famous for miracles, then our products aren’t ordinary, but miraculous.” The phenotype of the “Chudoslavskie” brand has morphed into a northern dialect.

CORUNA performed all subsequent work on the project in this “north-Russian” style. A typeface of carved “wooden” Slavic letters became the basis of the logotype, and the corporate logo became a snowy landscape. The slogan “From Northern lands” distinguishes the brand, putting its signature on a product from the entire northern region: pure and original. To create corporate accessories we wove together several important themes: the idea of northern-Russian dualism—of reserve and emotionality, the brand’s belonging to a particular region and the product’s cleanliness and eco-friendliness.

The ironic animation style seen in our advertising campaign vividly evokes the brand positioning of Chudoslavskie: “Chudoslavskie is the source of the modern fairytale spirit that stems from the idiosyncratic Russian north, complete with its own particularities, vibrant style, unique culture, distinctive character, and original people.”