Pun on colonel is ‘playful’ but confusing
The founders of The Little Kernel, which features military-themed packaging and a small kernel mascot dressed like a colonel, argue that the play on words tells consumers what the product is but also gives them a fun way to engage in the brand – a message the Ruskin got immediately, but which she said also could be lost in the other branding elements. “I love the ‘Little Kernels!’ I get it – the hats! They’re cute,” she said. But, she added, the “packaging is a little over-the-top – just a bit too much going” so that it is hard to know who is the target consumer.