MY ROLE
Freelance Lead Creative Partner (Strategy, Packaging Design, Campaign Art Direction & Content Creation)
OVERVIEW
P.A.N. is the heartbeat of Venezuelan identity. For the 2025 Holiday Edition, the goal was to evolve from "tradition" to "cultural relevance." Leveraging the universal debate of "Who makes the best Hallaca?", I designed an interactive packaging system that invites consumers to write the name of their personal culinary hero directly on the bag.
This simple shift transformed a commodity product into a personalized tribute. The project expanded into a viral 360º campaign. Driving a +6 point increase in Market Share and repositioning the brand as the center of the holiday conversation.
CAPABILITIES
Packaging Design & System | Creative Strategy & Concept | Custom Illustration & Pattern Design | Campaign Art Direction (OOH, POS, Merch) | Video Storytelling & Content Creation
To understand this project, you have to understand that P.A.N. is one of the most important lovebrands in Venezuela. From the breakfast arepa to the hallacas on Christmas, it has been with me, and all Venezuelans, since day one.
So, when I was approached to take the lead on the 2025 Christmas Packaging, it was a dream come true. But the challenge was massive. This was only the second Christmas edition in the brand’s history, and I needed to create something that didn't just sit on the shelf, but lived in the hearts of millions.
We started with the typical "Christmas aesthetic": ornaments, christmas trees, gaitas... We made dozens of beautiful options. They were aesthetically pleasing, but emotionally empty. They felt like just another holiday wrapper in a sea of red and green.
The real "Aha!" moment didn't come from a brief; it came from a late-night realization about Venezuelan families and even my own. I realized that every Venezuelan household has the same passionate debate in December:
"Who makes the best Hallacas?" The answer is always different: Mom, Grandma, Aunt…
The insight was right there: The packaging shouldn't just celebrate the season; it should celebrate the hands that make it. The recipe changes, the names change, but the ingredient is always P.A.N.
I played with the existing yellow palette to create a monochromatic illustrative pattern. We adapted icons of Venezuelan Christmas: cuatro, hallaca, ornaments…and added vibrant pops of color to make it festive yet modern.
But the soul of the design is a dedicated space for a handwritten name on a gift tag that says:
"The best hallaca is made with P.A.N. and prepared by: __________."
This simple detail changed everything. The bag stopped being just a product and became a tribute. It invited people to pick up a marker and write the name of whoever they believe makes the best hallaca and then gift it. It turned a commodity into a badge of pride.
"The best hallaca is made with P.A.N. and prepared by: __________."
To prove the power of this connection, I joined the campaign activations as a featured artist, personally hand-lettering names for tons of people at brand launch and holiday retail events. This transformed the act of buying P.A.N into a thoughtful gifting moment, allowing people to dedicate the product to the person who they believe makes the best hallacas.
MERCH & PR
I designed a collection of branded merchandise, including the traditional aprons, mixing bowls, tote bags, and collectible keychains. Influencers and families adopted these items during their cooking rituals, flooding social media with organic content.
We applied the pattern to wrapping paper, and the response was overwhelming. In shopping malls, lines formed at activation stands just to get gifts wrapped in the P.A.N. paper. It became a coveted item on its own.
Also, a series of 4 collectible placemats that sparked table talk, including playful nods to typical hallaca debates and including sister brands like Mavesa and Pepsi that are also very relevant in the season.
Retail & OOH
The campaign took over the city, including my first-ever billboard on the Francisco Fajardo Highway, a personal career milestone and a massive visibility point for the campaign. I also designed all the Point of Sale materials: danglers, wobblers, banners, standees and more!
THE STORYTELLING & GOING VIRAL
I didn't want to just "post" a new project; I wanted to document a life changing one. I approached this content with a director's mindset, writing the script all by myself to ensure the narrative remained 100% raw and authentic.
I turned my own bedroom into a set for the "process" footage and partnered with the best photographers and friends, Samuel and Leon Kaufman. We went to ZUK Studio to capture the professional studio footage of me telling the story. With my mom and cousin acting as my production crew, I directed and edited the entire piece myself in CapCut.
The effort paid off instantly. The video went viral in under 24 hours. It was so successful that P.A.N. requested to turn the organic post into an official Collab Post, integrating it into their main feed. The video sparked a trend on TikTok where users filmed themselves writing names on their P.A.N. bags. The comments section became a love letter to the brand, proving that the story behind the design was just as powerful as the design itself.
To Nicole, Isa, Beta, Michelle & Adri:
None of this would have been possible without these incredible women, the marketing team at P.A.N. A group of fiercely passionate, talented, and dedicated women who poured their hearts into this project just as much as I did.
From the late nights and endless brainstorming sessions to the last-minute adjustments, it was an absolute honor to collaborate with partners who care this deeply about their work. Grateful for the trust, the hustle, and the magic we created together. Here’s to many more!
