From the farm to the bar
Marou Faiseurs de Chocolat logo and visual identity X Rice Studios
Established in 2011, Marou Faiseurs de Chocolat emerged as one of Asia's inaugural Bean-to-Bar artisan chocolate makers. The brainchild of two distinctive French visionaries who embraced Vietnam as their home, the brand is committed to crafting immaculate dark chocolate. This dedication fuses the exceptional cacao of Southern Vietnam with the revered expertise of French chocolatiers. For almost a decade, Rice Studios collaborated closely with Marou Chocolate. As Marou's initial branding ally, this partnership revolutionized global perceptions of chocolate, setting unparalleled standards for Vietnamese brands. This brand architecture evolved, adapting strategies to mirror Marou's growth over the years.
Delving into the annals of history, Marou rekindled Vietnam's cacao legacy – a crop introduced in the 19th century, overshadowed by war, and then rejuvenated in recent times. Their award-winning single-origin dark chocolate bars are a testament to this commitment, winning the hearts of gourmets, chefs, and chocolate aficionados not just in Vietnam but globally.
Unique in their approach, Marou's operations in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) are noteworthy for their direct involvement at the cacao farms' source. Founded by two intrepid Frenchmen less than a year prior, Marou embarked on an extraordinary journey. They utilized cacao beans from small family farms across the Mekong Delta and southern highlands of Vietnam, setting the gold standard for chocolate production.
From the onset, Marou entrusted Rice Studios with sculpting its visual identity and packaging. The mission was clear: capture Marou's unique narrative, balancing tradition with modernity. Each chocolate variant is a reflection of its origin, with the province's geographical and soil attributes influencing the cacao beans' characteristics and, subsequently, the chocolate's flavor.
After extensive contemplation, a system was devised: each chocolate bar was named after its bean's origin province, coupled with a color indicative of the Trinitario cacao pod's hues. These colors spanned a spectrum, from deep vermillion to ochre yellow, grass green, midnight blue, and peacock aqua.
The packaging is a tribute to Vietnam. Drawing inspiration from artisanal ceremonial papers from Cho Lon, Saigon's old Chinese quarter, the design incorporates hand-drawn cacao pods, flowers, and leaves, intertwined with monsoon clouds. The modernist typography, inspired by vintage Vietnamese signage, blends seamlessly with traditional lattice patterns.
Emphasizing the artisanal essence of Marou's chocolates, traditional silk-screen printing techniques are employed, with each wrapper hand-printed in antique gold ink. Marou's team then meticulously hand-wraps each chocolate bar, ensuring that every piece is a reflection of their dedication to craftsmanship and quality.
