IDEA. We looked to the origins of chocolate – to the Aztec civilization, which first incorporated cocoa into religious, political, and economic life. The Aztec lands of Xoconochco were the largest center of cocoa bean cultivation. This is where the name XONOCHOCO – a modern interpretation of the historical toponym – originated. For the Aztecs, cocoa was more than just a product.
It was currency, a sacred gift from the gods, and part of a mythology full of contrasts – from ritual cruelty to a cultish respect for the energy-giving drink. These contrasts formed the basis of the brand's visual concept.

PACKAGING DESIGN. Xonochoco packaging is a modern take on archaeological finds, artifact graphics, and cultural stereotypes associated with the Aztec civilization. Key design principles:

1. Archetypes of ancient symbols. Each SKU is based on a striking symbol of Aztec culture:
a skull, a symbol of historical sacrifice, used in the chili position; a stylized alien, a reference to popular hypotheses about extraterrestrial influence on Aztec technology and culture; and a ritual element of a sacrificial stone, reflecting chocolate's connection to ancient rites and sacred meaning.

2. Visual archeology. We drew on the aesthetics of excavations, engravings, and discovered artifacts, but translated them into a modern form—graphic, laconic, and contrasting. This is how a visual language is born that simultaneously feels museum-like and archaic, yet boldly modern.

3. History for every taste. Each bar is its own "fragment of civilization." The customer doesn't simply choose a flavor—they choose a myth, a legend, a part of the visual world of Xonochoco.

Xonochoco's packaging design was ranked #1 in the 2024 Most Creative Chocolate Packaging Awards in an industry review of creative solutions.