The future we share: Building an award-winning brand for dairy pioneer Horizon Organic

Co-created with Elmwood New York, the new identity honors heritage while inspiring a collaborative future for communities, farmers, and the environment– in work recognized by the Graphis Design Awards

Elmwood New York, a leading design consultancy, reveals the story behind its comprehensive brand refresh for Horizon Organic, America’s pioneering dairy brand. This collaboration redefines Horizon Organic’s visual and verbal identity to strengthen its leadership in a competitive $86 billion market. The newly revamped brand identity has already garnered acclaim, being recognized for its “extraordinary creativity” at the prestigious Graphis Design Awards.

Horizon Organic teamed up with Elmwood to co-create a revamped brand that amplified Horizon’s pioneering voice while honoring its origins. Together, they crafted a modernized brand expression, rooted in the company’s original trailblazing spirit that began in 1991—when Horizon Organic led the charge in offering products free from antibiotics and growth hormones. The evolved identity reinforces the brand’s continued commitment to driving innovation and sustainability in the organic industry.

“It was a privilege to partner with Horizon Organic, a beloved brand that has long been a leader in responsible organic farming. Our mission was to honor its rich history while unleashing a vibrant vision for the future—one that sparks sustainability and innovation for generations to come,” says Meg Beckum, Executive Creative Director at Elmwood New York.

The project redefined Horizon Organic’s brand across all touchpoints, delivering a comprehensive overhaul that spanned everything from digital experience to packaging to shopper marketing. Every aspect of the brand experience was reinvented to ensure consistency, engaging today’s health-conscious and sustainability-driven consumers.

The dairy aisle is notoriously confusing with countless options making it hard for consumers to choose. Horizon Organic’s evolved identity introduces a new brand architecture that clearly organizes its vast product portfolio, simplifying the shopping experience and helping customers easily find the products they need.

“This ambitious brand identity refresh was about finding fresh ways to signal how the company is nourishing a healthy, happy future for everyone,” adds Meg Beckum. “We wanted to shape how the brand looks, sounds, and interacts with consumers, emphasizing the connections to the land, animals, and each other in our storytelling. At the same time, we aimed to simplify and showcase the impressive quality of Horizon Organic’s products and practices.”

In a crowded category where organic has become ordinary, Horizon needed to stand for more than delicious milk and happy cows. To do this, the creative teams crafted a voice that speaks with open-arms honesty, passionate conviction, and hopeful realism; and a bold brand story that sets a new standard for American food. The Horizon We All Share invites everyone to take a stand for our communal food future.

The visual symbol of the “shared horizon” is central to Horizon Organic’s new design ecosystem and serves as the foundation for all creative applications. This signature arc embodies Horizon Organic’s commitment to regenerative agriculture—expressing an interconnected food system that improves the health of the environment, livelihoods of farmers, and communities while producing nutritious food. In addition to connecting a whimsical world of pastoral illustrations, the new design asset adds structure and stand out at shelf. The repeating arc across packaging forms a brand block, helping consumers quickly identify Horizon Organic products amidst a multitude of competitors.

“Our shared horizon concept has unlocked a new fleet of storytelling experiences for Horizon Organic,” explains Meg. “It aligns beautifully with Happy the Cow, the brand’s beloved mascot, creating a meaningful and memorable brand world. Most importantly, it embodies a vision of connection, community, and inclusivity—where everyone plays a role in supporting healthier, sustainable food futures.”

As Horizon Organic strides into the future, it boldly redefines quality, innovation, and environmental health. The brand refresh, co-created with Elmwood New York, invites everyone to join in a daring commitment to sustainability. By engaging consumers with a shared horizon, Horizon Organic transforms the dairy experience into a collaborative mission. Together, they are reimagining a healthier food system that honors their roots while inspiring future generations. This is a call to action for a vibrant tomorrow, where every choice uplifts the environment, farmers, and communities.

Source: Elmwood New York

  Brand Identity, Brand Refresh, Branding, Elmwood, Elmwood New York, Graphis Design Awards, Horizon Organic, Marketing