Illustration, Design & Packaging

— Creative Direction by Nate Brown
— Copy by Steve Horn

Brown’s Green Gold and Red Heatwave are the result of years of work and a lifetime of inspiration. We aim to create the most flavorful, unique and delicious salsas that people can get fingers on and chips into. Head Sauce Man, Nate Brown, was inspired by Tex-Mex of his childhood home Texas and the Jalisco, Michoacán and Oxacan flavors that are present in southern California. A love for fermentation gave rise to the idea of creating salsas with big, bold, bright and deep flavors. This is his version of Salsa.

We set out to design packaging that’s bold, colorful, and playful—capturing the spirit of a California-meets-Texas, with our salsa as the life of the party. Think Southwestern deserts, cacti, peppers, beaches, mountains, desert wildlife, and of course, the ever-iconic cowboy/cowgirl.

We drew inspiration from Southwestern culture. The typography evokes the feel of a rancher’s cattle brand—bold, rugged, and iconic—while the skulls nod subtly to sugar skulls, hinting at a psychedelic journey toward ego death.

The final branding captures Nate Brown’s fun-loving, easy-going spirit and blends it seamlessly with his deep appreciation for Southwestern culture. It delivers a clear message with a cohesive, scalable aesthetic designed to spark an emotional connection. Bold, memorable, and full of character, this brand is poised to stand out on the shelf and become a staple at any snack-time gathering.

Animated elements bring the brand to life making the product more memorable and engaging. Motion helps clearly communicate key selling points, like flavor complexity, while boosting visibility through platform algorithms that favor video content.