There’s a story behind every cheese—its ingredients, place of origin, recipe, and history. But it’s not every day you encounter a cheese whose history is so elegantly depicted on its packaging. Emmi Switzerland’s new Le Gruyère AOP label reads like a fairytale, each tiny flourish revealing a different chapter in its life story.
“People want to know where their food comes from, and the stories of the makers who produce it,” says Abby Despins, Director of Communications at Emmi Roth USA.“This industry is filled with amazing stories, but it’s very difficult to express them on-shelf.” So the Swiss cheese giant answered this conundrum in a creative way; Inspired by scherenschnitte, the traditional Swiss art of paper cutting, Emmi’s new labels for their Gruyère and Emmentaler cheeses pay homage to Swiss folk art with beloved national symbols integral to the cheese’s creation. Lacy details on a vibrant blue backdrop include the Brown Swiss Cow, a breed essential to cheese production in Switzerland; the Castle of Gruyères, an iconic landmark in the cheese’s namesake medieval town; and the evergreen tree, representing the Alpine woods of Le Gruyère’s homeland.
“We feel this new label truly brings Gruyère to life,” says Despins. “We were able to take a traditional [art form] and give it a modern feel that stands out on the shelf.” This particular style of cheese has been made in much the same way for 900 years, so it has a lot to say. Le Gruyère’s new look lays its history out beautifully, telling a story both inside and out.
