Popsicle Makeover

Rebranding sometimes appears to be the action of someone's having dipped too much into the rebrandy. Rather than a hot toddy, the drink's gone completely lukewarm. With an already successful product, the question has to be raised: why the hedgy, impulsive behavior?

The perfection of Palapa Azul coconut popsicles cannot be overstated. They don't contain dairy or highly processed sugars, they're milky and chunky and perfectly shaped, and their flavor is consistent and lush. I knew some of these things from reading the box, but seeing the box, I sensed them all. Exhibit A, outlined in red above: spacious, effervescent use of Helvetica. A hint of a tropical beach through gentle use of color. A clean layout to match my gustatory sensibility (and that of the general Whole Foods demographics).

On the other hand, exhibit B, in which a handwriting font marries an awkward sketched reiteration of a cartoony vacation brochure photo. Our all-natural, un-dyed bar gets bleached, bitten, and angled to employ its blatant sexuality, with two coconut halves to match. Okay, so instead of being urged to "just escape," we're assured we've escaped and it's 100% natural, but we haven't. We're in our overheated apartment inbetween jobs chilling out with an icy snack, and despite the positive messaging, the whole package screams big-box grocery store in a way that makes me suspect I'll get cavities. Like a cute girl in too much makeup, I want to urge Palapa Azul to take a good shower before going out, reassure: You're fantastic just the way you are.