Brand revolution – Delivering award-winning design for one of the world’s leading beauty companies.

Challenge
To build the big buzz necessary to grab national retail placement for Alberto Culver’s new line of natural facial care products.

Insight
Alberto Culver knew they had to respond to consumer trends and a category shift towards natural and organic skincare. Based on consumer research, our response targeted the natural sensations associated with key product formulations, and the sensory benefits that created the kind of emotional response that demands trial and maintains brand loyalty. This culminated in impactful positioning around the concept of natural science.

Solution
Kaleidoscope knew that this line, under the St. Ives brand and with an elevated price point, needed a powerful name and a compelling package design to really win at shelf. Through collaborative interaction with the Alberto Culver team – we delivered.

It began with the name Elements. And from this initial inspiration we redeveloped a St. Ives-focused design strategy. The smart use of white space, in combination with organic visual cues, delivered a design that successfully communicated exactly what the product inside would deliver – skincare with naturally fresh and clean results. This gave Elements a unique retail presence, with the power to gain display and incent consumers to purchase.

Result
The Elements line and its design refreshed the St. Ives equity, without losing the personality of this long-standing brand. It also created media buzz which garnered the attention of the beauty press. Consumer response was extremely positive, sales projections were exceptional, and retailer reviews – excellent!

related links:

www.thinkkaleidoscope.com

www.stives.com

I came across these bottles of Embodi at my local Whole Foods store. The idea here is to jump on the antioxidant bandwagon and provide all the benefits of red wine without the alcohol. I couldn't locate the firm that did the packaging. The bottles are resealable and made from aluminum (to protect the antioxidants from elements that destroy them). They are fairly small bottles, holding about 8 ounces. The photographs don't entirely do the package justice; the bottle actually has a really nice, luxe pearlescent sheen to it. Due to the odd size and bold graphics, these bottles immediately stood out on the shelves. The one thing that keeps bothering me is the section of "b" in the logo that's encroached upon by a cutaway leaf. From a distance it looks like a printing error.

Designed by Chicago based Kaleidoscope.

Related links:
www.drinkembodi.com
www.thinkkaleidoscope.com

Packaging for Cricket Cola, a green tea cola, designed by The Powell Rogers Project.

Related links:
www.thepowellrogersproject.com

Over the next two years, McDonald’s will roll out its newly designed packaging to nearly 14,000 of its restaurants in the US, and then to another 117 countries worldwide. Birmingham UK based design studio Boxer Creative was commissioned by McDonald's to undertake this massive makeover. According to Boxer, the goal was to "change the way the world feels about eating McDonald's food":

"The new design engages in an honest conversation about the quality of McDonald's food. We have created a global packaging design system that embraces a consistent framework but alows for customization to create local market relevance. Its bold and simple design celebrates all that's good about McDonald's, shilst reassuring consumers about the origins of the food they are about to eat."

See photos of the rest of the packaging, as well as a history of previous designs after the jump. What do you think? Are you lovin' it? Sorry I had to...

Related links:

www.boxercreative.co.uk

www.mcdonalds.com

How much time do you spend in your home office each day? 1 hour, 3 hours, 6 hours or more? If you spend a lot of time in your home office then you should consider giving it a total re-design. Having a clean and inspiring environment is essential to being healthy and working to your fullest potential.

I will point out some tips, resourced and show you a bunch of cool home offices to get you started on your office re-design. When you are done with your new office you will never want to leave!

How to get Started

1. Research

Check out other peoples office’s, research colors at the paint store and browse office furniture stores and websites so you can get a solid idea of what you want your office to look like.

2. Take measurements and Start Planning

The last thing you want to do is find a cool piece of furniture and then find out it doesn’t fit. So measure your room to see what kind of space you are working with.

3. Prep Work and Painting

Chances are you will need to do some prep work and this could include tasks such as filling holes, removing wallpaper, adding a primer coat of paint to the walls and so on. Once your room is prepped head over to your local paint store to get your paint, rollers, masking tape, brushes, pans and so on so you can paint! read more..