Wild Thingz

Punk, not junk. How Wild Thingz’ plant-based candy sank its teeth into the shelves of the UK’s biggest supermarkets.

What’s the truth?

62% of parents are reluctant to give their children sweets, but the rise of healthy snack food has created a world of better-for-you blandness. If only kids could taste the rainbow without all that rubbish…

How’d we turn it up?

Enter Wild Thingz: a category-changing candy brand that kids would go mad for (and parents wouldn’t feel bad about). Leaning into nature’s unapologetic side, with the ingredients of a saint but the energy—and shelf appeal—of a sinner. 

We went all in on

Rolled out to 75 WHSmith sites
Named Best Emerging Enterprise
Center Parcs listing secured
Wild Thingz Fruity Flyers pack over a pink 'Bite me' headline
Wild Thingz logo sticker slapped across a mainstream sweets shelf
Wild Thingz poster on a fridge reading 'Anti artificial. Deadly delicious.' with Vee the Venus flytrap

Say whassup to Vee, the mohawk-sporting Venus flytrap. Inspired by tattoos and grungy skater brands, she is the epitome of punk, not junk.

'Meet Vee' illustration of the Wild Thingz Venus flytrap mascot
Green shopping basket full of Wild Thingz packs on cracked concrete

Where it all started. We wanted the brand and product names to say organic, but with a rebellious twist. Enter Wild Thingz.

Wild Thingz logo with the tagline 'No artificials. No apologies.'

"It's been a wonderful experience working with HOW+HOW on the Wild Thingz brand. It's been a truly collaborative, and highly creative experience all the way through — from naming all the way to the final website design and build.

"The team's capacity for ideation, and thoughtful approach to a creative challenge is magic to witness, and be a part of."

Fliss Newland, Founder, Wild Thingz
Wild Thingz billboard reading 'Taste the rainbow. Without the artificials.' with Vee the Venus flytrap
Wild Thingz booklet titled 'Sweets that don't suck!' on a bench

Not only a voice, but an opinion. Our messaging calls out the category for containing so much crap, rendered in a rock-and-roll typeface.

Wild Thingz tone of voice principles: 'Say it plain. Give it punk.'
Phone box wrapped in Wild Thingz artwork reading 'Plant-powered punk.' with Vee the Venus flytrap

Dark, brooding colours, a logo made out of thorns and wild 3D creations push plant-based anarchy to the limit.

Wild Thingz Zesty Pests pack between the words 'No artificials.' and 'No apologies.'

Proof of the truth

75
WHSmith sites from July 2026
£250K
worth of orders secured from an independent distributor
£300K
delivered into customer net revenue sales in year one with no marketing behind it
Six
secured an Ocado and Waitrose listing within six months of launch

Credits

Business Strategist
Rob Miller
Initial ideation
Entire HOW+HOW team
Copywriter
Harriet Stallibrass
Designer
Robbie Isaacs
3D Designers
Oliver Primus + Matthew Gilbert
Senior Creative + Illustrator
Eilidh Reid
Senior Designer
Callum Richards
Developer
Peter Kroyer
Senior Digital Designer
Raaya Pathare
Digital Design Director
Luke Scott
Design Director
Priyjah Paramasivam
Creative Director
Chris Clayton
Chester Zoo logo signage
Next project: Chester Zoo