“Our intensive discussions with Studio One Eleven about our industry, target market, branding direction, and marketing strategy were a crucial part of the initial relationship. Studio One Eleven really took into account what our packaging needs were and where we wanted to be.”
— Marketing Director of Paul Brown Hawaii
Bamboo-shaped bottles for a tropical twist.
Paul Brown Hawaii's Hapuna Keratin Retexurizer Stylist Caddy earned a Personal Care Prestige Award at the HBA International Package Design Awards. The judges based their decision on originality, design concept, creative use of new marketing materials, components and decorating processes, as well as technical competency and effective brand messaging.
More importantly, Studio One Eleven helped create traction for the new product line. The Studio's involvement started when Paul Brown Hawaii requested a package that exuded 'tropical luxury.' Within 24 hours of receiving the brief, Studio One Eleven submitted a solution and initiated a series of color tests. While its structural design group finalized the development of new bamboo-themed bottles, the Studio's visual branding team created a new Paul Brown Hawaii Hapuna logotype and a brand communication system that spans cleansing, conditioning, and styling products.
The client's marketing team was impressed. 'Rebranding an entire line is much more difficult and restrictive when an image has already been established. We had to be very careful that we did not alienate our current consumer, yet still attract new consumers, broadening our niche. The new packages deliver our marketing message clearly and elegantly, along with the emotional image that we wanted to convey to our customers. It's a beautiful, upscale salon design that motivates consumers to purchase.'
At $60 per SKU and up, the Patricks line of men's grooming products required ultra-premium packaging to support the brand's ultra-premium positioning. Studio One Eleven devised a design. The resulting elegant, rectilinear, aluminum-accented, 100% custom package forms – inspired by elements from both personal electronics and automotive design – not only contrast dramatically with the category's ubiquitous circular jars and tubes but also deliver a unique sensory experience for both the hand and the ear.
The front edge and base of the injection-molded polypropylene package are fused with thick plate aluminum to create a machine aesthetic. The minimalist Patricks logotype is debossed on the cover, reinforcing the hard-goods image, while labels are laser-etched directly onto both aluminum surfaces with a tightly structured communication architecture that facilitates product selection. A thin rubber gasket seamlessly integrates into the aluminum base to prevent slippage in wet areas, protect bathroom surfaces, and create an audible solidity when putting the package down. The front edge functions as the closure latch, swinging forward to free the lid and reveal a well containing the product.
Within just two months of launch, this obsessive attention to detail helped the Patricks brand earn coverage in GQ magazine, placement in luxury goods retailer Mr. Porter, and one reviewer’s praise describing it as one of 'the finest grooming products known to man.'
Luxury and timeless elegance are conveyed in the latest package innovations for Kenra Professional's Platinum haircare line, sold in salons and upscale cosmetic retail chains. For its new Blow-Dry Foam, our Studio designed a custom oblong bottle with reverse taper that was mated with a stock foamer/applicator and a clear polypropylene cap with chrome neck finish that echoes the company's other Platinum products.
For its Texture Powder, Kenra rejected a number of stock package alternatives in favor of a custom 50 ml polyethylene oval bottle—the first in the category to depart from a stock round solution. To further convey a premium look, designers recommended a graceful downward curve on the bottle top; the metalized silver cap, which hides the sifter fitment, matches the bottle's signature curve. A hot-stamped chrome logo reinforces the brand equity, while a three-panel rear label was specially engineered to accommodate the compound curve of the container. Since finalizing the package, Kenra has initiated a patent on the design in order to protect its future Platinum offerings.
Kenra Platinum was the Silver award winner at the 2015 NACD Packaging Awards.
J.R. Watkins is America's original natural apothecary manufacturer, founded in 1868 and based in Winona, MN. The brand's visual language has changed little in 135+ years and is instantly recognizable to a loyal base of consumers.
Knowing how important to brand equity is for its brand, Watkins engaged Studio One Eleven to develop a next-generation foaming soap package that is a natural evolution of the line.
We employed familiar elements such as Watkins' recognizable apothecary neck and shoulder, and the company's 'Trial Mark' device hearkening back to the days when products were sold door to door.
Watkins was thrilled with the result, and consumers have rewarded them with incremental sales success.
When Nehemiah Manufacturing, a licensee of P&G's Pampers brand, was looking to relaunch the neglected Kandoo brand, they came to our team. The charter was to design and launch a range of bodywash, shampoo, hand soap and hand sanitizer packages that reinforced the brand attributes of 'enabling play.' The Kandoo brand targets young children who are learning to enjoy independence.
The Studio One Eleven team met with mothers and kids to understand how and where they use these product types. We uncovered the need for a hand sanitizer package to travel in the car and for easy use in unreachable and unstable locations like bath products on sink or tub ledges.
The Corner Buddy package met these needs by fitting snugly in the tub or sink corner and car cup holder. The development process included hand and CAD sculpting for the lifelike Kandoo frog character features and resulted in a unique package that makes staying clean fun and safe for young kids.
The National Association of Container Distributors awarded the package a 'Best of Show' award, and the product was featured in The Wall Street Journal.
Scented-resin collar lets airline soap system do double duty.
A few years ago, Celeste Industries came up with a new product concept that it knew would fly with the airline industry. The company envisioned combining airline lavatory soap and air freshener in a single unit, eliminating the extra steps involved in installing and replenishing separate sink-mounted soap bottles and wall mounted air freshener discs. Shortly after the first-generation product was launched, Celeste worked to develop the next generation packaging to improve performance and aesthetics.
A new design by Berlin Packaging's Studio One Eleven solved the problem with a change in the fragrance delivery system. Designers replaced an industrial-looking fragrance band that was difficult to apply, leaked onto users' fingers, and consumed nearly half of the available label space with a custom scented resin collar that fits seamlessly over the tapered shoulder of the company’s 8 oz PVC Flight Luxe soap bottle.
Fragrance is released from the underside as well as the face of the collar component through a series of perforations engineered to promote maximum air flow. The collar easily drops on to the shoulder before capping. Label real estate has doubled to enable upgraded branding, and soap and air freshener can now be replenished simultaneously.
The new package design also:
Reduced bottle weight by more than 10% to comply with California regulations
Updated the look of the Flight Luxe line without requiring existing customers to replace the support bases already installed on their lavatory sinks
Replaced disparate bottle structures with a uniform look across the line's scented and unscented SKUs
Supports both threaded and snap bases to fit the various counter mounting styles used by different airlines
The new package has been adopted by multiple airlines.
