MANIAX – BRANDNEW

SUMMARY

MANIAX

Context:

Amylon is expanding its business into a new vertical by entering the seeds category — a market where, on average, consumers can recall only one brand unprompted: Nutline, which currently dominates the segment.

Seeds are a uniquely popular type of snack almost exclusive to the Balkan region, where they hold a strong cultural and emotional connection with consumers.
In contrast, this snack format remains largely untapped and underdeveloped in Western markets, making it a niche category with highly localized relevance and behavior.

CLIENT:

Amylon

BRAND:

Maniax

INDUSTRY:

FMCG

TASK:

Brand Positioning, Naming, Packaging Design

The Brief / The Challenge

More than just designing a logo or choosing a name. It required a strategic approach from day one:

- Identifying a unique positioning that sets it apart from dominant players;
- Crafting a visual and verbal identity that is bold, cohesive, and easy to recall;
- And building a brand personality that people can connect with — one that can grow and evolve while remaining true to its core.

In a category with low differentiation and high habit-driven purchase behavior, success depends on creating a brand that not only stands out visually, but also stands for something — a brand that signals quality, relevance, and authenticity at every touchpoint.

From tone of voice to packaging, from naming to shelf presence, every detail must work together to deliver a coherent and ownable brand experience, with memorability built into its DNA.

The Solution / Design Concept

Naming

Given that we were addressing a target audience with medium-level education, it was essential for the brand name to be friendly, easy to adopt, and resonate closely with familiar words and expressions.

Starting from the insight that once you start eating seeds, it’s hard to stop — the crunch, the flavor, the repetitive motion all create a compulsive kind of pleasure — the name MANIAX was born.

A bold, catchy, easy-to-read name that makes sense in both Romanian and English. It carries a playful dose of madness and courage, while offering multiple layers of interpretation — from obsession to passion to pure, unfiltered fun.

Design

From a design perspective, we saw an opportunity in a market dominated by generic packaging — products that relied solely on the seeds themselves to build a connection with the consumer. Most lacked a story, a distinct personality, or a compelling visual world.

This gave us the freedom — and the responsibility — to create a brand with a strong identity, a story to tell, and a design that stands out on the shelf with confidence.

A key design principle was clear product communication. We wanted to make sure the packaging made it instantly obvious what type of seeds we’re offering — roasted? salted? no salt? — helping consumers navigate the range effortlessly and choose the right product without second-guessing.

With all of this in mind, we built a brand that invites people to be bold, to allow themselves to be a little crazy, and to bring a sense of fun and rebellion into even the simplest moments — like snacking on seeds. MANIAX is more than just a snack. It’s a mindset. A playful escape. A crunchy invitation to break the routine.