Pomari Forgotten Fruit Goods
Branded line of fruit products in partnership with Archeologia Arborea, an organization in Italy dedicated to the preservation and discovery of lost fruit species.
Recovery of Lost Culture in Fruit
The Background
For 40 years, Archeologia Arborea, or Arboreal Archeology, has searched for local ancient fruit varieties, preserving the genetic and cultural heritage of fruit in Central Italy. The agronomists of the organization have been able to reconstruct civilizations through the seeds of fruit, discovering forgotten cultures in rural communities. Archeologists search in abandoned monasteries and farms, in Renaissance artwork, ancient documents, and verbal testimonies from elderly farmers. The orchard at Archeologia Arborea is a sanctum of cultural heritage and biodiversity, helping species once on the brink of disappearance to flourish.
+ Brand Voice & Naming
+ Brand Identity
+ Packaging System
+ Illustration
+ Website Design
Italy’s transition to an industrial economy in the 1950s caused farmers to flee to cities in search of jobs, leaving behind centuries-old practices and farmsteads to be lost. Agronomists like Isabella Dalla Ragione searched the abandoned land, hoping to discover lost cultural and scientific treasures. Eventually, she began searching for answers within Renaissance art; the works of Piero della Francesca, Pinturicchio, Rafael, and many more hid clues to lost civilizations through the fragment of a pear, slice of an apple, and seeds of a fig.
A Taste of Italy at Home
The Challenge
In this moment, homogeneity is sought after with a market-driven momentum to get fruits and vegetation to adhere to a specific aesthetic. The narrowing of diversity in crop species threatens the genetic integrity of the plants. In favor of specific flavor, color, and texture chemicals for genetic modification are used to achieve particularites, endangering the nutritional and cultural value of the original crop. Pomari sources all its fruit from the Archeologia Arborea orchard in Tuscany, supporting the preservation of the original plant species. Your tastebuds will salivate in anticipation of that oh so refreshing bite or sip.
Look and Feel
The Approach
The name is derived from the Latin word, pomari, meaning fruit-seller, or relating to fruit; the name sets the tone of the brand's conceptual framework by using a language, Latin, that is seldom used in contemporary times. A lost language paired with a brand of lost fruit and lost culture. The fruit imagery on the packaging labels are curated from renaissance artworks.
Artisanal
Botanical
Earthy
Refined
