For many people of a certain age, toaster pastries are a quick, tasty breakfast or snack you gobbled down as a kid. You could eat them as-is, but they were easy enough to heat up in a toaster or microwave without adult supervision.
But over time, one starts to desire a little more nutritional quality from our food choices, and most brands of toaster pastries don’t meet the mark. And that doesn’t just go for the olds; it also applies to the kids (and, yes, we’re looking at you, Gen Z).
Flings is a new brand of toaster pastries inspired by those childhood memories of ripping open a bag of those tasty, handheld, and portable morsels in classic flavors, upgraded for grownups in high protein, low carb, low sugar, keto-friendly form. The brand turned to the creative agency Blurr Bureau to communicate Fling’s modern take on a classic treat.
Brand identity and packaging take visual cues from the 80s with a fanciful and sumptuous logo. The color palettes are also a throwback, and the callouts balance nostalgia with nutritional bona fides on the front of the boxes.
“The 80s was the last decade before the Internet infiltrated our lives,” said Jessica Dimcevski, founder and creative director of Blurr Bureau.
“Our research showed that ‘nostalgia’ for Gen Z was represented in their minds as a time before the internet,” she added. “Even though they weren’t born then, they had a craving and pull towards this era, when food was simple or making purchasing decisions at the supermarket wasn’t overwhelming. When things were more analog. Overall, these times come across as less complicated than now.” That insight alone regarding those sentimental ooey-gooey feels and a younger generation’s translation of it served as a massive unlock for the studio, inspiring the foundations of brand aesthetic, but the simple and to-the-point tone of voice.
The brand’s name is also an adult take on the classic snack. “Fling” not only speaks to the inherent snacking ease of toaster pastries, which are highly portable, ready-to-eat, or easy to heat for a next-level experience but also evokes a touch of naughtiness, as the word is also a common term for short, non-committal rendezvous of a romantic nature.
“We wanted it to be flirty and fun. The persona of your witty wingman or wingwoman,” Jessica said. “But we had to be careful not to sound crass or horny! There’s a fine line. We created a library of lines for the founders to pull from, which helped their marketing partners stay on brand and not get too carried away with innuendo.”
Blurr Bureau deftly and deliberately balanced Flings’ upgraded and updated nature with a nostalgic kick that feels genuine and still highlights the high-protein, low-carb take on toaster pastries. Flings also have a touch of double entendre that grownups will get, but dial it down to a level that doesn’t feel off-putting or offensive.