Honey on the Money

I consistently come across great packaging solutions for the simplest of products. Honey in particular is something that has caught my eye many a time. Maybe it's the wonderful hues of the product itself that lends itself to strong graphic treatment, but I find myself spoiled for choice when browsing the shelves for honey.

The Sheffield Honey Company “is an artisan producer of premium quality local English honey and beeswax products”. Design and illustration company, DED Associates have created an unusual brandmark for the Sheffield Honey Company using abstracted forms of a drip of honey and a hexagonal honeycomb shape. The result is a utilitarian boutique style which certainly works for me.




“Nude Bee Honey Co.® was launched in 2010 by entrepreneurs Edward Okun and Jared Cantor with the aim of delivering the most delicious raw honeys produced by independent beekeepers.

Working with independent beekeepers to deliver varietal honeys means a constantly evolving product line. Different types of honey come in and out of stock based on their limited supply, which means all of the honeys we carry at any given time are limited edition.

Produced throughout Ontario Canada, packaged in Guelph and distributed from our small but efficient warehouse in Kensington Market – Toronto, Nude Bee Honey Co.® is changing the way people love honey.”



This honeycomb inspired packaging by Australian based agency, Pidgeon is simplistic and lovely. “Heide Museum of Modern Art produces and sells its own honey. The packaging and point-of-sale poster are both based on the Hex typeface developed by David Pidgeon.”

Krafftstoff Vodka

Now, I am hardly a vodka expert, but this packaging makes it seem a lot more interesting looking. Unfortunately, I don't know much about the thinking behind the design, but it is obvious that a lot of inspiration has been drawn from the hip flask. The result is a gorgeous etched looking container which is almost a piece of art in itself.

The images featured on the flasks reminds me of some sort of Viking myths, which is only speculation. I would be interested to find out the inspiration for the scenes. The flasks won a bronze award at the 2009 German Art Director’s Club Competition, was included in the D&AD Awards book, was awarded silver at the New York Festivals, and was shortlisted in the One Show Design awards.




The flasks are available to buy from The Deli Garage website

Brown

“Brown is a small confectioner’s shop in Bogotá that’s always used kraft board boxes to pack their products. They wanted a new corporate image and a simple and low budget solution to identify what’s inside them. Bogotá, Colombia design firm Lip Ltda came up with a series of cards and stamps that carry the information simply and succinctly.”

I love how they have kept costs down here by producing rubber stamps to spice up regular brown boxes. The effect is crafty and handmade, but keeps all their packaging on brand at next to nothing. Some good ideas here for a low budget up and coming project I have.

Jell-o

Richard Perez, a graphic designer from San Fransisco has re-branded Jell-o made some beautiful new packaging, style guide and window vinyls. I love this project. It has really captured the fun of Jell-o with its childlike primary colours and fun bold characters.

Perez says, "by introducing a cast of fun stylized characters and a visual vocabulary that feels fresh and fun, the new Jell-o identity burst with vibrancy and joy. The simple graphic fruit characters, bright color-palette and naive typography makes the brand feel playful and pop without veering into overtly saccharine or Saturday morning cartoon territory."

His website, Skinny Ships showcases lots more of his lovely work as well of some of his inspirational typography.

Dr Stuart's Tea

I love this new packaging from Dr Stuart, a range of herbal tea's with active botanicals which do exactly what they say on the tin (so to speak). The illustrations describe what the purpose of the tea is. Detox is one of my personal favourites, displaying an illustration of a lady with a washing machine stomach. The characters are witty and their rendering gives a sense of homeliness which is ideal to describe tea. Brett Ryder is the illustrator and he has some very cool stuff, well worth a look.

www.brettryder.co.uk

I was tempted to buy the whole range just to give a face lift to my kitchen cupboard, and I don't even drink herbal tea. Strangely I came away with a box of the peppermint. Such is the power of packaging.




The Dr Stuart's website is also very cool with animated versions of the characters popping up all over the place.

www.drstuarts.com