Consumers on both sides of the Tasman will get a taste of Dow Design branding over the coming weeks as the company's design for new baby food Natureland appears on shelves in New Zealand and Australia.

Natureland, a new brand made in New Zealand by McCallum Industries, is made of all natural ingredients and available in a wide range of interesting flavours for every meal time. It hopes to capture a gap in the market between organic and mainstream offerings in both countries.

Aimed at parents of infants and toddlers (six months to three years), seeking convenient, affordable, nutritious and tasty baby foods, Natureland faced the challenge of how to stand out from other baby foods in an already fiercely competitive marketplace. To achieve this, Dow Design created an attractive and inviting design using nature imagery that gives the brand an eye catching, trusted and contemporary look.

"Natureland needed to make a strong and positive impact in the visually busy baby food market," says Dow Design's Creative Director, Donna McCort. "We chose simplicity - and white - to cut through the clutter. These elements also deliver to the freshness and integrity that underpin this wholly natural product."

Natureland is the first mainstream baby food offering in both Australia and New Zealand that comes in the form of a Bisphenol A (BPA) free pouch. Along with a child-safe mono-piece cap, it allows parents to store the pouch within a bag and serve one spoonful at a time, reducing waste. An 'all ages' range further differentiates Natureland from its competitors.

Dow Design's Strategic Development Director, Andy Jaquet, says the new brand launch had to hit the right mark with mums in both countries. "This was a challenging Trans-Tasman brief. With new entrants and already established mega brands in both markets, finding the key insights and the right brand strategy was vital. We're confident we have achieved this."

The design had to communicate the taste as fresh and nutritious, says Natureland Brand Manager Dooley Crighton. "Like food from your own kitchen, Natureland does not compromise on quality or nutritional value. From the very first brief, Dow understood what makes Natureland special. They succeeded in representing the taste through imagery and emotional brand packaging that is natural, light and distinctive. We immediately loved the brand and pack design. It has great shelf stand out and tells our brand story."

Donna McCort concludes, "A key characteristic of the new brand is a heartwarming softness - something that mums are really seeking in baby food - and that we felt was largely lacking in the existing category."

Following its New Zealand launch at the Ellerslie International Flower Show in Christchurch on March 11th, Natureland is now available in supermarkets throughout New Zealand. A clear acknowledgement of the appeal of its design is that it is already surpassing sales expectations even before advertising has begun. The Australian launch takes place in May, after which the brand will be available on supermarket shelves across Australia.