Noble West’s Unwrapped Series is a deep dive into our creative process. It is where we share our secret sauce, offer industry insights and highlight client work we were proud to produce.
Farmers’ Rice Cooperative (FRC)—the leading grower-owned rice marketing co-op in California—partnered with our team to explore two opportunities: 1) elevating their existing brand profile to better articulate their story and 2) building their ingredient brand, a product innovation endeavor, from start to finish.
FRC is a community of over 500 rice growers. With 11 international brands and decades of expertise, the co-op is a powerhouse known for pioneering excellence in both products and process. As an agency with a mind toward creating brands built for the future of food, we saw a space for FRC to offer a competitive, value-add brand—inspired by the potential of a single grain of rice—that could open the door to unprecedented partnership opportunities.
A Thoughtful Through Line
With a reputation earned through care, FRC treats every part of the rice growing process with tact. Whether it’s through providing high-quality products or helping their growers thrive, FRC looks out for the future prosperity of the rice industry. This commitment quickly became our through line—especially during the development of the ingredient brand, the innovation arm of FRC.
For the brand to be a partner of choice for food, pet food and consumer packaged goods (CPG) manufacturing companies, we knew that it had to have unlimited product potential, a value proposition dependent upon possibility. That’s why we built a brand that could leverage FRC’s unrivaled knowledge of rice’s capabilities—reimagining what FRC could do with what they already have.
Our team—while looking through the lens of sustainability—wanted the brand to have a symbiotic relationship with FRC. By blending boldness with approachability and curiosity with diligence, we would create a brand that appealed to younger audiences, offering FRC a way to reach a different demographic. And with a deep connection to FRC, the brand would have credibility from the start.
This ethos is what led to the establishment of Exceedient Foods.
Setting Exceeding Standards
Exceedient’s name captures the essence of the brand’s mission: to set exceeding standards by ensuring ingredient excellence. The catchy combination of “exceeding” and “ingredient”—a word born out of pre-existing components, much like Exceedient’s use of rice to create new products—sounds just familiar (but intriguing) enough to make consumers curious to know more. It speaks to both innovation and connection to the co-op, alluding to elevation in an ownable way.
At Noble West, we knew that Exceedient’s product suite had to be diverse—maximizing the potential of all parts of a grain of rice. From flours and breadings to extruded snacks and even dog treats, Exceedient’s versatility spans different shapes and forms, offering boundless opportunities for gluten-free product innovation.
Grounded by the foundation of FRC’s history, Exceedient expands upon what the co-op does best. Our team wanted partners to feel like collaborating with the brand would provide them with the freedom to find new possibilities for rice—helping them do so in an unexpected yet practical way.
A Place of Possibility
Our multifaceted creative team is what made our vision manifest. The voice of Exceedient had to match the brightness of its name—which is why our messaging hinges on optimism, expertise, and a dedication to delivering on discerning standards.
“The Ingredient to Goodness,” a headline whose variations were woven throughout our writing, communicates FRC’s quiet confidence. Exceedient knows what the co-op is capable of, which is why they treat every member of their team and every product with care.
With copy focused on opportunity, design had to create a place where possibilities could be explored. Our team chose a color palette that both connected Exceedient to its source—using FRC’s signature bright blue—and differentiated the brand from the co-op, working with greens and warm earth tones to develop a distinct visual identity. Images of growers and grains further speak to Exceedient’s relationship with the co-op, capturing the strength and support that FRC’s network can provide to partners.
We placed Exceedient’s extruded snack products around the copy—creating a frame of puffs, curls, and crisps that embody flexibility in flavor and form, speaking to the brand’s unlimited possibilities. These shapes ultimately represent the barrier of a threshold, which, once crossed, establishes a space in which creativity in ingredient innovation can be unleashed.
Exceedient’s Expo West launch was a chance for the brand to make a positive first impression on potential partners, with many of the event’s audience members being like-minded buyers and distributors of organic and gluten-free products. Visitors could literally step into this space of exploration—tasting the products of our collaborative creative process and imagining themselves ideating with the Exceedient team. The booth, which brought our work to life, signaled the end of the concepting chapter but marked the beginning of Exceedient’s story as a newly launched brand.
Looking Forward to Ample Opportunities
With an enthusiastic reception at Expo West—alongside a feature in Food Dive—we predict a promising path for Exceedient. The future of good food looks bright.
Our synergy with the FRC team grounded us throughout the entire process of building a best-in-class brand from start to finish:
“Noble West has been instrumental in bringing our shared vision to life. Their approach was collaborative and their expertise and dedication were crucial in launching our new innovation arm, Exceedient. This initiative aligns perfectly with FRC's ever-constant goal of creating value for our grower owners. Together, we are paving the way for transformative solutions in the agricultural industry. “ – Derek Alarcon, Director of Export Sales
If you’re interested in learning more about what our team can do for you, let’s get in touch. We’d love to tell your soilborn story together.
