Andrew Benin lived for two years in Spain and fell in love with the culture. But rather than changing his first name to Andrés and adopting a fake Spanish accent, he decided to bring to the US high-quality and affordable olive oil that intended to be used generously at every meal, just as he experienced in Spain.
Now in the states, Benin teamed with co-founder Allen Dushi to start Graza. Graza’s oils are unblended and made from 100% Picual olives grown in Jaen, Spain, where the pressing and bottling also happen. The brand launched with two types of olive oil; “Sizzle,” made for cooking, and “Drizzle,” ideal for topping food, even ice cream.
“Our brand screams ‘made to be used,’” said Benin, also CEO of Graza. “Pick it up and squeeze it. Let your kids use it. Toss it over to your grandma. Have a dance party with all our Graza characters. The beauty of the kitchen is that abundance and imperfection to create something amazing, and that’s what we are about.”
“Our brand and design are meant to challenge the standard. We believe you can, and should, use olive oil for everything,” Andrew added.
Developed with creative agency Gander, the brand identity and packaging clearly speak to approachability and usability, starting with the recyclable squeeze bottle inspired by professional kitchens. Both Sizzle and Drizzle bottles are dark olive green in color, with the former using a lighter yellow-green as a secondary color and the latter a brighter green. Copy has a casual tone, and the bottles feature playful illustrations. The wordmark gets set in exquisite and Spanish-inspired typography, while the secondary type keeps it simple, as is the copy.
Graza’s finishing and cooking oils are available separately or as a set directly from Graza.co.
