This was an exceptional brief to be approached about, and one Backbar was absolutely delighted to accept. The craft and whimsy that a confectionery brand inspires is the ultimate packaging design story to tell — one rooted in imagination, tactility and delight. It is a space where storytelling and sensory experience intersect, designed very much for the big kid in all of us.

Sugar Plum Sweetery, from Mullingar, has quickly become a popular and much-loved name in Irish confectionery. Drawn directly from the magic of the shop owner’s chocolate factory and their own whimsical inventions — a modern-day Willy Wonka if you will — the brand is built on joy, experimentation and craft. Backbar Studios was tasked with evolving the existing brand mark, premiumising the overall identity and infusing it with renewed charm and nostalgia, while ensuring it remained commercially confident and instantly recognisable.

We took these key feelings, memories, craft cues and a little magic, and distilled them into a simple, iconic and joyous solution. The resulting identity feels both timeless and contemporary, allowing the brand to grow while remaining true to its origins. It is a system that happily sits within Sugar Plum Sweetery stores — in Mullingar, Kildare Village and online — and translates seamlessly to shelf presence across Brown Thomas, Arnotts, Kilkenny Design and Avoca food emporiums.

Bespoke typography heroes the brand name, lending it an unmistakable personality and sense of ownership. Its old-world, charming energy harks back to simpler times and simple pleasures, evoking a sense of nostalgia while remaining refined and premium. The result is a fully immersive sensory moment — one that celebrates craft, sparks memory and invites customers into the magical world of Sugar Plum Sweetery.