20.04.2018
Refreshment at first glance
I recently read in Lise Spit’s debut novel that three seconds are as long as it takes to say crocodile three times. And on the shop shelf this is all the time a product has to convince a consumer to buy it. I love this challenge in our industry! Especially innovations within a portfolio, when a brand dares to do something different, makes my heart beat faster.
Packaging design for cosmetics has some very special requirements. The first glance counts in packaging and food products usually disappear into the fridge and end up in the rubbish bin once they exceed the best before date. Care products are different as they are usually visible for at least a month. Aesthetics are important for body care, both that of your own body and the surroundings in which body care takes place. Here, decorative features are especially valued by female buyers: shower gels, jars of cream products and co. should blend into the interiors of our own four walls or, at best, enhance the appearance of the rim of the bathtub. But beautiful design is not only appealing to consumers.
The creative department of HAJOK was delighted to be commissioned by the traditional brand Kneipp - not only because we were given the opportunity to design an innovative product, but also because our roots are in the cosmetics sector. When the agency was established over 20 years ago, Axe (Lynx) and Dove were some of our first design projects, so we can look back on a long history of expertise. Today we do more work in the food sector and are proud of our standing as leading experts in the field of creating on-pack appetite appeal.
Placing the ingredients centre stage was also the focus of the new Dusch (Shower) Tonics from Kneipp. The key attributes of refreshment and fragrance had to be combined in a natural-looking and contemporary design in line with the Kneipp CI. What was particularly challenging was creating the visual cooling effect, while avoiding giving rise to an association with freezing. A natural look has been created, that is refreshing at first glance with a dynamic water splash that covers the whole pack, a discreetly placed ice cube and the authentic presentation of the ingredients. The typography is deliberately restrained and is reminiscent of the minimalist style of a spa.
"Nature is our best pharmacy", Sebastian Kneipp once said. Working with a company that skilfully interprets its 125-year-old philosophy into the zeitgeist of today was something we really enjoyed. The combination of innovation and tradition should appeal to both young newcomers as well as existing buyers of the brand. The new shower tonics are aimed primarily at women who find showering a pleasure and not just body care.
This picks up on a persistent, social trend that is also of great significance in 2018: self-care is not a luxury but a necessity. This certainly includes a healthy diet, plenty of exercise and sufficient sleep, but also everyday rituals that refresh body and soul. The cosmetics industry in particular is constantly trying to create moments of pampering for its customers with sustainable, natural and new products. And we as designers create packaging that precisely communicates these moments at POS. We whet the appetite for the product even before the lid is unscrewed. We are the beginning of the so-called "me-time" and that is something we are proud of!
Author: Madeleine Weiss, Creative Director at HAJOK Design
Published in creativ verpacken 3/18