PaperSpecs Presents: Bertolini & Figli Pastry Packaging

In 2020, after nearly 40 years of serving up mouth-watering pastries to the Italian public, Italy’s Casa del Dolce decided to change its name to Casa del Dolce Bertolini & Figli. Not only did this help differentiate it from other pastry shops using the Casa del Dolce name, but it also emphasized its greatest resources: founder Fausto Bertolini and his family. With the help of design firm NEOM (https://www.neom.it), it also took this opportunity to introduce a whole new brand identity: one that promoted the high quality ingredients used as well as the hand-crafted nature of the sweet treats it provides.

Bertolini & Figli (https://www.casadeldolcebertolini.it/) is perhaps best known for its Mandorlato – a type of almond-and-honey-based nougat traditionally eaten around Christmastime in Italy – so the new packaging for this product was particularly important.

Creative Packaging: Bertolini & Figli Pastry

The folding carton NEOM came up with features White 320 gm (200 lb.) Fedrigoni Freelife Vellum that’s been hot foil stamped on the front and back with symbols that represent the confection’s main ingredients: honey, almonds, egg whites and sugar.

It was also rotogravure printed CMYK by ISEM Group - Grafiche Bramucci (https://www.isemgroup.it/) to achieve the look of kraft paper – a nice touch for emphasizing the handmade quality of the treats inside. Two additional spot colors, Pantone 7630 Brown and Pantone 2253 Green, were used for the text and distinctive faux bellyband, respectively.

FAUX bellyband? That’s right – the box front boasts a circular die-cut at its center bisected by a Green-printed piece, which gives the impression of a bellyband. Here the company name – in a modern typeface that still carries a retro touch – is foil stamped beneath an illustration of a child pastry chef. (Walking with confidence toward the future, the boy carries a cake with 6 candles that stand for each member of the Bertolini family.) The cellophane window covering this die cut nicely shows off the sweet treats within.

The shimmering Rose Gold foil combined with the kraft-paper like color of the carton guarantee that this packaging will be noticed wherever it appears while still looking like something made with care by hand. The bright Pink label sealing the package at the bottom adds a tiny but pleasing dash of color to the box.

Foil stamping also makes an appearance on the front and back covers of a product brochure featuring many of the shop’s toothsome sweets. Inside, a lovely mix of illustration and rich photography – all on uncoated paper – further emphasizes the brand’s natural, organic vibe. Though saddle stitched, it still lays nice and flat thanks to the small number of pages.