About
Two-year creative partnership with #5 pasta brand in the US creating distinctive trade show merchandise for chickpea-based food launches. Supported pizza (2022) and waffle (2023-2024) product expansions with conversation-starting designs that transcended typical promotional swag to become collectible items.
The Challenge: Newer chickpea food company needed standout merchandise for competitive trade show environments like Expo West. Required designs that would drive booth traffic, spark social media engagement, and support two major product category expansions while maintaining brand consistency.
Strategic Approach: Conversation-starting concepts like "pizza teams" based on controversial toppings (pineapple, anchovies, ranch) and nostalgic diner aesthetics for waffle launch. Retro 1970s-80s pizza parlor and 1980s-90s diner styling using Banza's signature orange. Simple, one-color designs optimized for cost-effective production while maximizing visual impact and social shareability.
Results
• 30+ illustrations created across two major product launches
• Collector's item success with tote bags reselling on eBay for $100 (originally $10-20)
• Two-year strategic partnership supporting pizza and waffle launches
• Trade show differentiation creating conversation-starting booth traffic
• Viral merchandise appeal with leaked designs prompting customer demand
• Brand extension support across competitive breakfast and pizza markets
• Social media engagement through controversial "pizza teams" concept
• Real-world brand ambassadors with merchandise spotted in everyday NYC settings
"Working with Nikolai was a great experience. He is quick, a great communicator, and offers great customer service! We look forward to working together with him on future projects."
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