Dieline Awards - Digital Surgeons - HUUE
A photo of the packaging that Digital Surgeons developed for HUUE.

The Dieline Awards has named Digital Surgeons 1st in the Brand & Identity Systems within the Home, Shopping and Other Markets category for the design consultancy's product design work with cannabis brand Huue™. 

Dieline, now in its 12th year, continues to be one of the world's leading packaging design competitions, recognizing some of the world's best creatives and agencies. 

Digital Surgeons Co-Founder David Salinas attributes his team's success to their excitement and passion for the work. "When HUUE™ Plant-Based Vapes initially walked through the doors of Digital Surgeons, we couldn't have dreamt it to be any better. When they were presented with HUUE's innovative technology, the DS team immediately realized the impact it could have on the Cannabis industry and its consumers," said Salinas. 

The team at Digital Surgeons quickly became enamored with Huue's unique dry-flower vaping system and applied deep research and dozens of rounds of market testing to design an elevated and luxe cannabis experience that was both familiar and approachable to a broad and diversified audience. "Throughout our engagement, the whole team at Digital Surgeons consistently leaned in and helped craft a brand experience like no other. We looked at several top agencies and what struck us about Digital Surgeons was their unrelenting focus on the customer experience. It truly is no surprise to me and my fellow investors that Huue™ won first place in the Brand Identity and Design System category," said Huue™ co-founder Michael Sheldon. 

"When it came to product development, we spent months prototyping and testing various packaging and puck solutions while gathering real-time feedback. As brand development came into play, we relied heavily on customer intel, taking notes from everyday brands and experiences to glean what customers are expecting from a brand like this, and what might resonate most for them," said Alyssa Callahan, Associate Director of Design Strategy.

The team worked not only to bring an innovative cannabis product into the mainstream market but also to overcome the stigma surrounding cannabis consumption that still exists despite multi-state legalization initiatives. The team was able to successfully develop a product and brand identity that would make the buying journey an easy and enjoyable experience from the novice customer, all the way to the seasoned cannabis consumer. 

"The intersection of the brilliant work from our Brand Experience team and the creative powerhouse of our Brand Experience Studio is, in my opinion, where the magic really comes to life for brands like HUUE," says Digital Surgeons Co-Founder, Pete Sena. 

The comprehensive Brand DNA framework is what guides the DS team at all stages and brings "ideas and concepts out of a founder's head and into the essence, expression, and ecosystem that makes a brand successful," says Sena, "the work that you see on HUUE is a perfect example of the outcomes our team is able to produce for innovative forward-thinking brands." 

The team at Digital Surgeons is incredibly honored and grateful to have received 1st Place in the Brand Identity & Systems Category at the Dieline Awards. The award represents recognition for the hard work and creativity over the past year in crafting and launching the brand experience for HUUE.  

Digital Surgeons is an independently owned creative design consultancy and full-service marketing & branding agency located in District NHV, the $25 million technology and innovation campus in New Haven, CT, that was also founded by owners Pete Sena and David Salinas. 

HUUE Written Case Study + HUUE Video Case Study

Media Contact: 

Kyle Adams
Marketing Associate
kyle.adams@digitalsurgeons.com
203.610.9150
https://www.digitalsurgeons.com/