Bringing Persian Culinary Heritage to Canadian Markets
Queen's Diamond emerged in 2019 when Iranian immigrants arrived in Canada with a passion for sharing their homeland's exceptional dried fruits and nuts. These premium Persian products, including dates, pistachios, dried barberries, and various nuts, represent centuries of Iranian culinary tradition. The challenge was creating a brand identity that honoured Persian heritage while appealing to Canadian consumers seeking authentic, premium international foods.
CLIENT: QUEEN’S DIAMOND OF YAM FOODS INC.
BRANDING
PACKAGING
MARKETING
WEBSITE DESIGN
Transforming Traditional Iranian Dried Fruits into Premium Canadian CPG Brand
The Challenge
Bridging Cultural Heritage with Market Appeal
When the Queen's Diamond founders arrived in Canada, they faced a significant branding challenge. The Canadian market already had established Persian and Middle Eastern food suppliers, but most lacked the premium positioning and contemporary appeal needed to reach mainstream Canadian consumers. The original brand identity needed to:
Honour authentic Persian cultural traditions and motifs
Appeal to both Persian-Canadian communities and adventurous mainstream consumers
Compete with established Iranian dried fruit suppliers
Communicate premium quality and artisanal heritage
Create shelf presence in both specialty Middle Eastern stores and mainstream retailers
Our Strategic Design Solution
Cultural Authenticity Meets Contemporary Appeal
Our comprehensive brand transformation included logo refresh, packaging design, label systems, and digital presence through a custom Squarespace landing page. The design strategy balanced three critical elements:
Visual Identity & Logo Refresh The updated Queen's Diamond logo emphasized premium positioning while maintaining cultural authenticity. We simplified the existing mark to improve readability and shelf impact, ensuring it would work effectively across all packaging sizes from small nut containers to large dried fruit packages.
Packaging Design System Drawing inspiration from traditional Iranian patterns and motifs, we created a cohesive packaging system that felt both authentic and contemporary. The design incorporated:
Traditional Persian geometric patterns adapted for modern CPG applications
Luxury positioning through premium materials and finishing techniques
Clear product visibility to showcase the quality of Iranian dried fruits and nuts
Multilingual labelling for Persian-Canadian and mainstream markets
Colour Palette Strategy The saturated colour palette was carefully selected to evoke Persian heritage while ensuring maximum shelf impact. Rich jewel tones including deep burgundy, golden amber, and royal blue referenced traditional Persian textiles and architecture while creating bold differentiation in the crowded dried fruit and nut category.
Typography & Cultural Elements We balanced readability with cultural authenticity, incorporating subtle Persian calligraphy influences while maintaining the clarity needed for ingredient lists and nutritional information. The typography hierarchy clearly communicated product names while respecting Persian aesthetic traditions.
Implementation & Digital Presence
Comprehensive Brand Launch
The Queen's Diamond transformation included both physical packaging and digital presence:
Packaging Implementation
Complete product line redesign covering all dried fruit and nut varieties
Scalable design system for future product expansions
Compliance with Canadian food labeling requirements
Premium finishing techniques to justify higher price points
Digital Strategy
The custom Squarespace landing page served as the brand's digital flagship, featuring:
Beautiful product photography showcasing Persian dried fruits and nuts
Brand story emphasizing cultural heritage and quality
Educational content about Persian culinary traditions
Easy-to-navigate product information and purchasing options
Results & Market Impact
Successful Cultural Brand Translation
The Queen's Diamond rebrand successfully introduced Persian dried fruits and nuts to Canadian consumers while maintaining authentic cultural connections:
Brand Recognition The refreshed identity immediately elevated Queen's Diamond's market presence, positioning it as a premium Persian food brand rather than a generic dried fruit supplier.
Market Expansion The contemporary packaging design enabled placement in mainstream Canadian retailers beyond traditional Persian and Middle Eastern specialty stores.
Consumer Education The comprehensive branding approach, including the informative landing page, helped educate Canadian consumers about Persian culinary traditions and the unique qualities of Iranian dried fruits and nuts.
Community Connection The authentic yet modern design resonated with Persian-Canadian communities seeking high-quality products that honored their cultural heritage.
Key Insights for Ethnic Food Branding
Cultural Authenticity as Competitive Advantage Rather than diluting Persian identity for mass appeal, the successful approach celebrated Iranian culinary heritage while making it accessible to mainstream Canadian consumers.
Premium Positioning Strategy Quality packaging and branding enabled premium pricing, positioning Queen's Diamond as an artisanal Iranian food brand rather than a commodity dried fruit supplier.
Storytelling Through Design The packaging and digital presence worked together to tell the founders' immigration story while educating consumers about Persian food culture.
Comprehensive Brand Experience Success required more than just packaging - the coordinated approach including digital presence, storytelling, and cultural education created a complete brand experience.
Conclusion
Queen's Diamond represents the successful transformation of traditional Persian dried fruits and nuts into a premium Canadian CPG brand. By respecting cultural authenticity while meeting contemporary market demands, we created packaging and brand identity that honors Iranian culinary heritage while appealing to diverse Canadian consumers. The project demonstrates how thoughtful design can bridge cultural traditions with modern market requirements, creating opportunities for immigrant entrepreneurs to share their cultural treasures with their new communities.
The comprehensive approach - from logo refresh to packaging design to digital presence - created a cohesive brand that celebrates Persian culture while succeeding in the competitive Canadian specialty food market.