Geltor is a biodesign company pioneering innovative and ethical consumer proteins that are sustainable alternatives to products like collagen. While biodesign (also known as synthetic biology or bioengineered design) is an exciting, burgeoning industry, it can be a bit mystifying for consumers. And that poses a problem for those in the space like Geltor. To address these public awareness concerns, Geltor recently sought out the masters at NYC creative agency &Walsh in search of an entirely new visual language and branding.
“The Geltor team asked for branding that showcased their core offerings in a way that put focus on beauty and craft,” &Walsh founder and creative director Jessica Walsh explains of the task. “When talking to the Geltor team, we were inspired by how they create their proteins and products. We wanted to create a unique visual world for them that merged inspiration from biodesign, science, nature, and art.”
&Walsh achieved just that, developing a lively visual environment rich with intricate, natural imagery that has a dash of whimsy and imagination. “We first conceptualized the visual direction and created mood boards to run the concept by the client. The mood boards were filled with images of terrariums, cells, science equipment, and beautiful product still life,” Walsh shares. From there, she and her team assembled photo collages, followed by the final 3D visuals.
The central motif of Geltor’s new branding is a series of orbs filled with brightly colored and highly saturated natural elements like tree frogs, coral, butterflies, and fauna. “The shape of the orbs are inspired by cells, and the glass material is inspired by science equipment like glass tubes or Petri dishes,” says Walsh. “We were also inspired by glass orb terrariums, a place for growth and life. Inside the orbs, we wanted to illustrate the concept of life created by biodesign. Various orbs represent different products from Geltor and their benefits. While their proteins are completely animal-free, they take inspiration from the tree of life: nature, marine life, animals, etc. We wanted the visual worlds inside the orbs to celebrate the inspiration behind each product and the custom ingredients that they create with their clients.”
The branding for those in science-based fields can often feel sterile, stark, and uninspiring. But thanks to &Walsh, Geltor now has a look and feel as innovative and exciting as their work. “It’s rare to push B2B work into a space that is visually compelling like this,” says Walsh. “Many players in the space use cold branding and imagery, such as stock photography of scientists in lab coats and generic nature photos. I’m really proud we were able to do something that referenced nature and science but became unique and own-able for the brand.”
While there is still a lot for the public to learn about the biodesign industry, it’s undeniable that Geltor’s new branding will spark intrigue and entice consumers to dive in.
Creative Direction: Jessica Walsh
Strategy: Lauren Walsh, Angie Shih
Copywriting: Stephanie Halovanic, Samantha Galvao
Production: Prue Linehan
Design Lead: Soomin Jung, Simoul Alva
Design: Elinor O’Brien, Lucas Luz, Jeremy Rieger, Katyayani Singh, Sasyk Mihal, Matthew Roop, Jenny Jiang, Julian Williams, Jada Akoto, Xiaocha Zhang, James Marshall, Danyang Ma, Riisa Liao, Jiayue Li, Oscar Chen
Illustrations: Jeremy Rieger
3D Illustrations: Lucas Luz, Flavio Carvalho, Victor Murillo Jansegers, David Padilla, Gökhan Tekin, David Porte Beckefeld