Ayo Instagram

A Spoonful of Whimsy

AYO yogurt is produced by Billings Ranches, a family-owned farm that has been in California’s San Joaquin Valley since 1913. To the Billings Family, their history and legacy are almost as important to them as the almonds they grow. They take pride in their ability to bring the nutrition of the almond from farm-to-spoon. They are about family, kids, dairy-free nutrition, almond yogurt that tastes like almonds, and fun! AYO’s branding was created by my colleague and mentor Lori Murphy. It is playful and punchy, and that was the jumping-off point for the Instagram account. 

I was given the AYO social media account in the winter of 2018. At the time the expectation was that AYO would be in stores momentarily. The Instagram account was launched prematurely, as it turned out. Almost a year later the product is just now starting to be available in select stores. This meant that the strategy has been playing out at a slower pace. To take a message about how fun it is to enjoy a yummy, creamy, nutritious almond yogurt that you can’t get in stores has been a unique challenge. With only a style guide and occasional pictures from the farm, I found new ways to emphasize the vibrant colors and iconography of the brand by making collages of fruit and yogurt spoons to make faces and geometric compositions as well as sourcing and tracking the life-cycle of the almond tree.  

I created a grid that is visually cheerful and balanced while imparting context and celebrates a product that is the pride of the Billings family. Working on this account has been a great opportunity to establish a following on Instagram while coming up with variations on a small number of themes. As this product has not been widely available, we have tried to build anticipation through light-hearted and educational visual juxtapositions, while holding off on more recipes and stylish food photography until we can really raise the call-to-action. I have laid down a visual vocabulary, that can now be adapted into other avenues of marketing as the product gains wide distribution.

Probiotic

Lori has adopted my imagery into her recent online banner campaigns — giving new life to my work and integrating it into the brand identity.

Banner Ads by Lori Murphy, Senior Art Director, Gauger + Associates