Redefining Indulgence: How Boomranng Studio and Cocoa & Katli Reimagined the Visual Language of Indian Sweets

Main Facts: The Intersection of Tradition, Health, and Luxury

In a culinary landscape where traditional Indian sweets (mithai) are inextricably linked to festive celebrations, familial gatherings, and unbridled indulgence, a quiet revolution is taking shape. Premium confectionery brand Cocoa & Katli has introduced a refreshing paradigm shift by offering a curated line of sugar-free mithai and artisanal chocolates. Rather than sliding into the sterile, clinical visual tropes traditionally associated with "health-conscious" or "diet" foods, the brand has chosen a path of unapologetic luxury and contemporary flair.

To bring this ambitious vision to life, Cocoa & Katli partnered with Mumbai-based creative agency Boomranng Studio. Tasked with repositioning the brand as a bold, modern gourmet expression of Indian indulgence, the studio crafted a vibrant, surrealist visual identity. The name itself serves as a conceptual bridge: "Cocoa" represents the global, contemporary chocolate culture, while "Katli" honors the deep-rooted familiarity and heritage of Indian mithai.

The resulting design system bypasses tired nostalgia. Instead, it embraces a colorful, expressive, and tactile aesthetic designed to captivate a younger, design-forward demographic without losing touch with the cultural roots of Indian confectionery.

Chronology: The Genesis and Evolution of Cocoa & Katli’s Visual Identity

Phase 1: Conceptualization and Naming Strategy

The journey began with a fundamental challenge: How do you market sugar-free traditional sweets without sounding medicinal? For decades, sugar-free products in the Indian fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) market have relied on stark white packaging, images of elderly consumers, or uninspiring text highlighting calorie counts.

Cocoa & Katli and Boomranng Studio recognized that modern consumers—particularly urban millennials and Gen Z—demand both wellness and hedonism. They wanted a product that could be proudly gifted at a high-end wedding or enjoyed as a personal luxury. The naming strategy laid this foundation. By juxtaposing Cocoa with Katli, the brand signaled a fusion of global confectionery techniques and indigenous sweet-making heritage.

Phase 2: Deconstructing the Geometry of Mithai

Moving away from standard corporate branding frameworks, Boomranng Studio embarked on an extensive anthropological and artistic study of Indian sweets. The design team analyzed the physical forms of various mithai:

• The organic roundness of motichoor laddus and pedhas.
• The sharp, precise diamond geometry of kaju katli.

Rather than photographing the products literally on the packaging, these familiar shapes were transformed into abstract building blocks. Through rigorous sketching and conceptualization, the geometry of Indian sweets evolved into characters, botanical elements, ingredients, and surreal forms.

Phase 3: The Birth of the "Gourmet Forest"

To unify these disparate elements, Boomranng Studio conceptualized the Gourmet Forest—a surreal, dreamlike ecosystem where traditional Indian sweets and modern chocolates peacefully coexist.

To maintain a sophisticated, contemporary tone, the agency paired these simple geometric and organic shapes with soft gradients and subtle, multidimensional shadows. This approach added visual depth and a tactile quality to the packaging, preventing the illustrations from appearing overly rendered or cartoonish. The final rollout spans a rich spectrum of color-blocked packaging—including striking shades of emerald green, deep purple, and rich red—complemented by sleek, minimalist snack pouches.

Supporting Data & Creative Credits: Behind the Design

The success of Cocoa & Katli’s visual overhaul lies in its meticulous execution, blending digital 3D rendering with classic illustrative techniques. The project was steered by a multidisciplinary team of creative directors, strategists, and 3D artists.

Project Credits:

• Agency: Boomranng Studio (Mumbai)
• Creative Direction and Strategy: Makarand Narkar, Sonal Vasave
• Identity & Packaging Design: Makarand Narkar, Sonal Vasave, Komal Sharma
• 3D Visualization & Modeling: Kishor Loke

Key Design Pillars:

1. Zero Diet Cues: A strict avoidance of green leaves, low-calorie seals, or minimalist white boxes that signal deprivation.
2. Tactile Geometry: Leveraging the natural shapes of laddus and katlis to dictate pattern design and box structures.
3. Immersive Storytelling: Using rich color palettes (jewel tones like purple, emerald, and ruby red) to elevate the unboxing experience into a ritual of modern luxury.

Official Perspectives and Creative Insights

The leadership behind the design process has been vocal about the philosophy guiding the rebrand. In statements detailing the collaboration, Boomranng Studio emphasized the delicate balance between cultural preservation and forward-thinking design.

"The name itself brings together two worlds," notes the creative team at Boomranng. "Cocoa representing modern chocolate culture and Katli representing the familiarity and tradition of Indian mithai, giving the brand the best of both worlds. Instead of leaning into the traditional visual codes often associated with mithai, we created the Gourmet Forest, a surreal world where sweets and chocolates coexist."

Elaborating on the methodology behind the illustrations, the studio explained how traditional confectionery was broken down and reassembled:

"The illustration language began by studying the familiar forms of Indian mithai, from the roundness of motichoor laddus and pedhas to the sharp diamond geometry of kaju katli. These recognisable shapes became the building blocks for a new visual world, reworked through sketches into characters, botanicals, ingredients, and surreal forms.

To keep the system feeling contemporary, we paired these simple geometric and organic forms with soft gradients and subtle shadows, adding depth without making the illustrations overly rendered. The result is a playful, modern language that still feels rooted in the shapes and familiarity of Indian sweets."

Industry Implications: The Future of Health-Conscious Indian Confectionery

The rebranding of Cocoa & Katli arrives at a crucial inflection point in the South Asian food and beverage market. For generations, mithai was viewed through a seasonal lens—primarily consumed during Diwali, weddings, or religious festivals. Furthermore, as lifestyle-related health concerns such as diabetes and obesity rise across urban India, traditional sugar-laden sweets have faced declining consumption among younger demographics.

By proving that health-conscious confectionery does not need to sacrifice aesthetic pleasure or cultural authenticity, Cocoa & Katli’s collaboration with Boomranng Studio sets a new benchmark for the industry.

1. The Death of the "Medical Aesthetic" in Wellness Food

For too long, health foods have been marketed like pharmaceuticals. By wrapping a functional, sugar-free product in the whimsical, high-end packaging of the "Gourmet Forest," the brand demonstrates that wellness can be framed through pleasure and indulgence rather than restriction and guilt.

2. Premiumization of Indigenous Ingredients

As local consumer spending shifts toward premium, artisanal experiences, heritage foods are undergoing a renaissance. Brands are realizing that modern consumers are willing to pay a premium, provided the product narrative respects both its cultural roots and contemporary design sensibilities.

3. Redefining Gifting Culture

In India, gifting mithai is a profound social ritual. By elevating the packaging of sugar-free sweets to the level of luxury fashion or fine cosmetics, Cocoa & Katli ensures that health-conscious consumers no longer have to compromise on elegance when selecting gifts for family, friends, or corporate associates.

Ultimately, Cocoa & Katli’s visual transformation is more than just a packaging update; it is a masterclass in modern brand positioning. By honoring the geometry of the past while dreaming up the surreal landscapes of the future, the brand has carved out a unique, highly coveted space in the modern gourmet market.