Bao Bao Buns - Chinese Buns in Traditional and Wacky Flavors
“Minnesotans need to know Chinese food is more than just Panda Express.” This is the heart behind Bao Bao Buns, an emerging frozen, ready-to-heat Minnesota-based consumer packaged goods brand. When Ed, co-founder/chef and I started chatting over Instagram, I knew we were going to be fast friends. We shared a similar Goliath: re-introducing Chinese food to a country that had reduced it to lo mein and eggrolls. As a first-generation Chinese-American born to immigrant parents, I’ve got my opinion on the matter. Great news - I’ll spare you of it.
About the brand: Bao Bao Buns is a Minnesota-based, small batch Chinese Baozi brand that serves both traditional and wacky flavors (their words). These frozen baos are easy-to-heat and ready-to-eat. Bao Bao Buns operates on a drop, order, pick-up format.
Drop - every week, a highlight flavor is announced on socials and email.
Order - place your order online. Choose between the bao of the week or their 4 evergreen traditional bao flavors.
Pick up - select a time slot that works best for you and pick up your buns.
Here were the goals of the shoot
Elevate the overall visual identity of the brand
Build authority and bring perceived legitimacy to the brand
Tell the story of handmade baos through kitchen action shots
Build out an evergreen content library
Update headshots of Ed and Caitlin (co-founder/marketing & everything else) for media and press kits
As a food photographer, I LOVE kitchen action shots. Restaurant action and cooking photos do a few things. First, it adds movement and life - which catalog menu shots often lack. Second, it highlights the process. In the case of Bao Bao Buns, we not only read that the buns are handmade, we get to see it too. Third, it showcases people. Ed and Caitlin are an impressive two-person show. The same people answer your questions over DM, handing you fresh baos at local pop ups, and coming up with witty flavor names are also the same people making these baos every week. It’s a labor of love that deserves to be highlighted.
Let’s talk listing photos
One of the most important imagery to capture correctly with consumer packaged goods are listing photos. During discovery, Caitlin and I decided we didn’t need to reinvent how each product photo would be listed. What worked for Bao Bao Buns weekly flavor page was having each bao flavor’s primary listing photo (or thumbnail) be an overhead shot of the bao on a wooden cutting board surrounded by keynote ingredients. This setup can be easily duplicated for weekly flavors for a consistent shop page. We replaced the secondary listing photo (previously a mockup) with a packaging/ingredient shot. Nice visual upgrade if ya ask me!
Shy LaBeef - Hearty and warming beef bao. Better than a wool blanket on a chilly day.
Boho Chic - Vegan. Filled with juicy mushrooms and earthy eggplant. It's complex and chic just like you. No beef needed.
Belly Flop - Taiwanese braised pork belly. Tender, juicy and just plain mwah. This bao is anything but a flop.
Swine & Dine - Tasty and familiar. Pork baos, just the way mom makes it.
An ingredient shot highlighting core produce, protein, spices, and herbs used in core Chinese cooking. Food photography is as much about capturing ingredients as it is about capturing action and plated food.
Lifestyle Food Photography
Lifestyle food photography has a special place in my heart. It allows me to bring a human or life-like context into imagery. Plus, as a food and beverage photographer, I get to play with composition and food. There’s the option of leaning into trends such as hard light on a bright solid colored background or the option to create a scene that more mimics an actual home.
What Bao Bao Buns are saying
These photos are now live on the Bao Bao Buns website. Here’s what Ed and Caitlin have noticed about the change:
“The website as a whole looks brighter and more inviting.
Branding is more consistent and prevalent throughout the site.
There's more variety of photos throughout the site/it feels more fun to go through the different pages to see what pics will show up next.
The vibe is much more elevated and I feel like the pictures add legitimacy to our product.
We now have a variety of supporting product pics specific to each flavor. I don't have conversion data on this, but it definitely elevates the customer experience.
We look like we belong in Target :)”
I think these side by sides speak for themselves. The previous food imagery were a FANTASTIC launch pad and laid out the creative foundation to our shoot. One of my favorite upgrades is seeing the “About Us” glow up. Being able to see the faces behind the food personalizes the entire brand and builds trust through transparency. But also, look how dashing Ed and Caitlin are - a couple of hot buns! Another win in my books :)
Founder headshots
Lastly, but surely not least - refreshed headshots for media and press kits. Bao Bao Buns, a young, but very hot and emerging brand making waves in the food scenes has already received attention from publications like Star Tribune, Eater Twin Cities, and Racket. I believe this is just the beginning for a city that loves food and having fresh headshots in a press kit is a major 2024 power move for a CPG food brand.
Ed Zhang, co-founder/chef of Bao Bao Buns
Caitlin Higgins, co-founder/marketer & dough b*tch (her words) of Bao Bao Buns
What do you think? Could you see Bao Bao Buns in a Target aisle near you? And if you haven’t already, check out their website - here it is again, follow them on Instagram, and consider ordering a bag or two for dinner next week.
Cheers - thanks for following along!