It was a warm and sluggish day in the summer of 2017, two brothers from Aligarh, Sumit & Mudit Goyal – the 4th generation owners of Kunjilal Dalsev Wale – called to set up a meeting. Since they were already in the vicinity, we invited them to come over right away. A decision we are so glad to have made instinctively!
Theirs is a fascinating story.
Kunjilalji was their great-grandfather, who in the later part of 1920 was attending an open meeting held by, none-other than, Mahatma Gandhi at one of the maidans of Aligarh. The meeting was to encourage the people to stand up for their dignity and their rights (non-violently of course).
Kunjilal ji was awestruck by the greatness and simplicity of the Mahatma and offered him a laddoo that he had carried to the Maidan as a snack. Gandhi ji graciously accepted the laddoo and asked about his occupation. Kunjilal ji despondently hung his head and admitted (with a heavy heart) that he was jobless and could barely manage to make ends meet. Gandhiji then asked him what he loved doing. To which, Kunjilal ji smiled and said he loved to make Mithai and had in fact made the laddoos that very morning with rations borrowed from his good neighbour. Gandhiji ate the laddoo with great relish and told him that it was the tastiest laddoo he’d ever eaten! He advised Kunjilal ji to make mithai his profession.
That was that!! The next morning Kunjilal borrowed some money from the local money lender, bought a small cart and some ingredients for mithai. He made the mithai at home with the help of his wife and peddled them through the streets of Aligarh. He then added a savoury mixture called Dalsev to complement his mithai. The brand carries Dalsev along with his name due to the immense popularity of the savoury snack.
No amount of influencer programs, carefully scripted PR strategy and social media likes could create what one encouraging statement and a pat on the back from Gandhiji did for Kunjilal. That coupled with relentless hard-work, innovation and a strict stand on quality has made Kunjilal Dalsev wale a name to reckon with in the mithai industry of North India.
Coincidentally, Kunjilal Dalsev wale established their first flagship store in 1947. The year that India proudly got her independence.
The project brief to us was simple. They asked us to bring Kunjilal Dalsev Wale into the 21st century – where their products could stand-out proudly alongside any other brand, anywhere in the world. Challenge Accepted!!!
Logo Variation English
We started by studying all the versions of their logo and decided to do an English and a Hindi logo to be used in either sides of all their packaging. The logos are hand crafted scripts that carry a slight accent of the British Raj to mark the era of inception. We retained the simplicity of the original logo script which was made by Kunjilalji. After sampling the silver foiled logos were finalised to be used on the namkeen boxes.
Logo Variation Hindi
Kunjilal Dalsev Wale is a pround Indian establishment and it was integral to have the logo in Hindi as well. We’ve retained the simplicity of the original hindi logo and modified it to match the English logo. After sampling the gold foiled logos were finalised to be used on the mithai boxes.
The Stamp
The brand is fondly known as KLD in Aligarh and we knew there was great sentimental value attached to these 3 letters. To incorporate it on all the packaging we created a shorthand logogram to be used on the sides of boxes and in other small spaces in the form of a stamp. The letters KLD stand proudly in the center of the circle along with the year of establishment.
The Mascot
Fondly nicknamed ‘the Halwai’ at our studio, this character was the trickiest part of the entire project. We had to keep in mind the pagdi and the dhoti style of Aligarh as well as the type of communication that is attractive for their target audience. After various iterations the Halwai was created to add a dash of colour to the packaging and give the brand a persona. The bright pink pagdi used on their product packaging adds a pop of colour on the monochromatic style used.
Namkeen Boxes
These crunchy, delicious namkeens are the best!!! We used a range of bright colours on the boxes using a monochromatic tonal effect offset with white for each box. The pattern in gloss is a pattern found abundantly in the Jalis of old monuments in Aligarh. The mascot adds a bit of colour to the boxes with his pink pagdi. When put together the boxes look vibrant and are guaranteed to stand out on any retail shelf! With various sizes of packaging available across the flavours there is something for everyone!
Premium Namkeens
Innovation is key to any business and this box was designed keeping in mind the inevitability of new products.
We created a continuous pattern to be used on the foil packets used to package the namkeens inside each box. These packets are vacuum sealed to ensure the namkeens stay crisp and fresh.
All Namkeen boxes are available in 3 sizes – 250 gms, 500 gms and 1 kg. With various sizes of packaging available across the flavours there is something for everyone!
Namkeen Jars
The namkeens are also packed in 150-200 gm pet jars with an easy-open pull back tab to retain the freshness of the product. The labels on these jars follow the same design pattern of the namkeen boxes.
Namkeen Takeaway Box
This is a corrugated box made for heavier snacks for over the counter sales – like kachori, samosa and mathri.
Dal Masala
This is a 100g box of savoury goodness. Adds life to everyday dals and vegetables. It is best sprinkled over before serving (somewhat like chat masala)
Butter Paper
A wrapping paper pattern was created for all the butter paper used to line mithai boxes and their takeaway boxes. It is also for use in their cafe – to wrap sandwiches and burgers.
Mithai boxes
We crafted a special unit inspired by the Islamic architecture of Aligarh for the mithai boxes as a lot of the mithai made today was brought to India by the Mughals. The recipes at KLD have been passed down for generations and are well-kept secrets. Much like the Coca-Cola recipe!
There’s Mithai and then there’s mithai! And the Mithai from Kunjilal is seriously beyond any other we’ve ever eaten. The aroma of pure desi ghee that wafts through the room the moment you open one of their boxes is a sensory experience like no other.
This 4-piece mithai box is our absolute favourite. Small and compact. Perfect for 4 laddoos (because we’re partial to motichoor laddoos). The box also has an empty space for customization.
Laddoos galore! Available in various types of box packaging – with trays and without trys depending on the occassion you intend to buy for.
Premium Mithai Box
Special boxes were made for their premium sweets like Kaju Katli with the logos in Gold foiling.
Cake Boxes
Pretty cake boxes were made in a pastel palette to give it a modern edge.
Shopping Bags
These bags are a testament to all things KLD. Bright and simple with a block of colour and our favourite ‘Halwai’ standing/sitting proud!
Business Cards
The Business cards focus on KLD and the place of origin – Aligarh in this case. The Gold foiling makes the stamp stand out on the clear ivory paper. The other side of the business cards have the contact details in gold foil – thus creating a sense of continuity.
Stationery
The Stationery has been created keeping in mind the rich heritage of Aligarh and Kunjilal Dalsev Wale. We’ve retained the invory and gold combination on the letterheads and envelopes.
Store Launch invite
The invite for the opening of their new store in Aligarh (Vidhya Nagar, Ramghat Road) which has a retail section, restaurant and banquet facilities as well.
Promotional Collateral
No launch is complete without a few gifts and this set of mugs and sipper bottles were made as giveaways.
The design on the mugs was liked so much that we created a set of coasters and a tray as gifts for their regular customers.
This project has been a wonderful journey and visiting the new store was quite a treat! Any trip to Aligarh would be incomplete without a visit to their store.