OlssønBarbieri’s identity for CF18 Chocolatier pays tribute to the founder’s civil engineering past

A few years ago, civil engineer Christian Fredrik Furuholmen decided to give up his day job and study at the esteemed London-based culinary school, Le Cordon Bleu, with the hope of realising his lifelong dream of becoming a chocolatier. After successfully finishing the course, he was able to set up his own company: CF18 Chocolatier. Following a great start, Furuholmen employed Oslo-based studio OlssønBarbieri to create a cohesive visual identity for the brand that would aid its movement up the commercial ladder. The studio was fascinated by the backstory of a civil engineer working in artisan chocolate production and, therefore, set out to create an identity based on the precision, innovation and craft that unites both disciplines. Engineering is intimately linked to geology and building, with both using stone as the primary material. Stones transform from liquid to solid, just like the process of melting and tempering chocolate. OlssønBarbieri saw this as the perfect opportunity to create a narrative for CF18 that connects the decor of chocolates with Norwegian stones and minerals by imitating their patterns and colours. The oval brand mark highlights the tools common to both chocolatiers and geologists, underlining their craft and creativity, and the foiled glassine paper references the periodic table, creating a subtle link to chemistry. These elements, as well as the packaging’s deep blind-emboss, tear-off opening, monochrome palette and expressive typography, represent CF18’s contemporary philosophy as well as a sense of modern luxury.