Chloe Gordon at Dieline has published 4,000 launch stories and just lended her expertise to new brand, Algae Cooking Club

Hi Chloe, please introduce yourself.

Hi! My name is Chloe Gordon, and I'm the Marketing and Project Manager at The Dieline. Along with my role at The Dieline, I freelance on the side, helping small/new businesses with their social media, graphic design, and general creative consulting.

When did you start writing for Dieline & what are your favorite stories to tell?

I started with The Dieline in March of 2021, so we're coming up on three years.

I never imagined having a job that I truly LOVE this much, and I am so thankful to be working somewhere where I'm genuinely inspired and motivated every single day.

It's probably not a surprise after my first answer, but I love to tell the stories of new startups. Founders are always motivated and fulfilled; I love giving them the platform to share their stories. Each brand has a unique background, and I love shedding light on how and why each brand came to be, all through a very specific packaging lens. I also really love doing trend-spotting and trend-reporting pieces.

As a writer for Dieline, you've reported on hundreds of brands, agency work, and the industry at large (4,000+ stories?!)— are there any consumer design trends you're predicting for the year?

4,000+ stories probably sounds like a lot, but I still feel like I barely scratch the surface of what's out there.

As far as trends, though, yes, trend spotting is my passion. I actually just started a new newsletter for The Dieline called Shelf Life and every Monday, I'll be sharing the trends you should know about that week. This week's newsletter included how brands are mini-fying and maxi-fying their packaging, the unexpected rise of brands using pillows as merch, and the sudden algae boom in the CPG space.

Regarding big-picture design trends, we released The Dieline's 2024 Trend Report at the end of 2023, and some of my favorites are New Wave Quirk, Ribbed Glass, and Nouveau Deco.

Along that same thread— are there any categories you think are ripe for disruption?

Even before Algae Cooking Club launched, the olive oil industry needed to rethink its ethos. The cooking oil industry is extremely un-environmentally friendly and there’s a massive lack of transparency. Olive oil production can be detrimental due to deforestation, water usage, and the intensive cultivation practices often associated with large-scale olive orchards. The cooking oil industry hasn't evolved pretty much ever, so it was time for someone to step in and make a big difference in the space, because there are alternatives. Algae Cooking Club is proving it through new ingredients and disruptive branding.

I'm also impatiently waiting for the day someone does something new and different in the cheese space. I want Laughing Cow, but for Gen Z, and I want it ASAP. With the popularity of cheese and grazing boards, I'm truly shocked the dairy cheese space has yet to be disrupted. Brands like Mercado Famous and Purlom are charcuterie examples of what I'm thinking.

Tell us about your work with the newly launched Algae Cooking Club- how did you meet Kas & what in particular excited you about the project after seeing behind the scenes at so many brands?

I often write about olive-based oil on The Dieline, and in April of 2023, I wrote a piece titled "Maybe Don't Package Your Olive Oil In A Plastic Squeeze Bottle?" after the squeeze bottle drama ensued (if you know, you know).

Kas was doing research for Algae Cooking Club and stumbled upon my article. He reached out because he loved the perspective, and he mentioned he was working on a fun project and asked if I could take a call to learn more about it. During our conversation, I knew I wanted to be a part of the brand in any capacity they needed.

Kas is an incredibly talented, smart, and delightful person, but beyond him, Algae Cooking Club is truly a revolutionary product. It's not only a more sustainable option to olive oil, but, in my opinion, it tastes infinitely better. When Kas told me it would make my eggs "eggier," I thought it was just another sales pitch, but I tried it for myself, and I can't see myself ever using an olive oil to cook with again, and do note that I am just your average at-home cook.

As far as my involvement with ACC, I’m helping the team with influencer outreach, affiliate marketing, and general community building. I’m also in charge of all things Instagram. The brand already had a large arsenal of stunning photography and video assets, so I’m helping implement them in a way that feels on brand while understanding the modern landscape of Instagram. I’m looking forward to creating content for ACC as well. Cooking reels to come... my fiancé is very excited to reap the benefits of the results of those videos.

Being part of a brand that's truly revolutionizing an industry is such an amazing experience, and I'm very honored to be a part of this small but mighty team!

Aside from Algae Cooking Club, there are a lot of brands launching in the cooking oil space (from Graza's Sizzle to Zero Acre), why do you think this is?

I don't think this is unique to just cooking oil. Just look at the better-for-you beverage industry, or the spiked seltzer industry, or the alt-meat industry. I do, however, think that the cooking oil space is incredibly branding and packaging focused, and I believe this is because cooking oils are something that consumers use almost daily. Hence, brands need to differentiate themselves in a way that stands out on shelves and in consumers' homes.

Algae Cooking Club is great because it not only has great packaging and branding, but also because the algae ingredient differentiates the brand beyond what a bottle could ever accomplish.

Not to get too ahead of ourselves, but what can we expect to see from Algae Cooking Club when it comes to community, digital & offline, or even future product launches?

Lots and lots of creativity.

The team has been so open to fun, playful ideas that lean into what the foodie community already loves while thinking about things with just the right touch of irreverence.

Right now we’re in the process of building a community of club members that are some of the most creative, inspiring, and downright cool people in the foodie space. The team is also working on capsule products that are a bit funkier than your classic oil, and will be extremely fun for people to taste, try, and experiment with. We also really want to do IRL low-key gatherings that are less focused on pushing product and more focused on fostering a creative, communal space for those in our community. Our main goal is to celebrate food, creativity, and curiosity, so the limits are truly endless.

Can you share any go to recipes for using Algae Cooking club?

We actually do have a few recipes on the site ready for people! If you're trying Algae Cooking Club for the first time, though, my advice is to try it on something you cook often so you can really taste the difference.

I keep telling people to try it on their eggs (scrambled, fried, whatever) because you don't realize how overwhelming the olive oil flavor is until you try algae oil. Not to be dramatic, but it's genuinely life-changing.