Packaging brief for product designer

Bluff. – The Brand Bluff. 

embodies urban British street culture, standing to represent and speak the language of our niche male market. At Bluff.’s core are the talented young creatives, the artists, the musicians and the skaters that we proudly represent. We revolve ourselves around urban arts and graphics, electronic music, and the hosting of Bluff. events that epitomise all of this. 

The Product 

Born from the male fragrance industry’s restrained level of marketing (overly tanned, photo-shopped, muscle men posing on exotic beaches) Bluff.’s debut product is a male fragrance that aims to break the stereotype by providing a product that is far more real and street, something that our consumer can relate to. Bluff.’s fragrance promotes honesty through both packaging and marketing. 

The bottle 

1. Material – matt black ceramic 
The bottle itself will be made of a matt black ceramic material, appearing modern and simple, and avoiding the glossy, commercialised and ‘in your face’ type of design. Whilst this material has quite an urban look, it is also discreet enough to promote our idea of honesty, and differentiates it from the mainstream use of glass for fragrance bottles. 

2. Diffuser – black ceramic-like material 

3. Cap – wooden (same wood as box) Pushes down into bottle 

4. Logo placement – base of bottle The logo will be printed on the base of the bottle, and the visible parts of the bottle left blank. 

5. Size/shape - 50ml 

The packaging 

1. Material - unfinished wood 

2. Opening - sliding lid 

3. Logo placement – front of box

Mac Make-up

Need I say more. MAC is and will always be my favourite make-up brand. With their iconic black packaging, relatively reasonably priced products and both helpful and extravert staff what more could you want.

Below is an image of the MAC products I regularly use. Although as a student it is proving more and more difficult to afford…cue asking mum and dad to visit. 

Products featured:

Studio fix fluid SPF 15 foundation - in NC15 (for the palest of the pale…me)

At £21.50 for 30 ml, oil free and lasting up to 8 hours I believe it is a good buy and use it as my daily foundation.

Lipsticks - nobody ever buys one MAC lipstick. Once you have one you want them all, pictured above are angel which is a nude everyday colour and plumful which is red-y purple-y and good for nights out. MAC lipsticks smell delicious and last hours.

Eyeshadow - the top eyeshadow I actually use as an eyebrow filler/to make me actually have eyebrows #blondegirlproblems. Using a mac brush to create a natural looking defined eyebrow shape. The middle one is used with a silver eyeshadow to create a smokey eye effect.

Blusher - This has to be my favourite blusher I have ever tried. In fact I have had the same response from one of my best friends, liking it to the extent where it is now her regular blusher. It is subtle enough to be worn in the day, but with more applied can create defined cheek bones with a slight sparkle. 

Leather Jacket

A leather jacket should be in my eyes a wardrobe essential. It goes with any outfit and can be used as much in a functional way as it can be to bring together an outfit. Pictured below is my French Connection jacket, a timeless piece which although Ive had for years as not aged even slightly.

Yves Saint Laurent (60s collection)

I really like the way Yves Saint Laurent used block colours on a simple shift dress, which make it more interesting and different to other shift dresses. I believe his work is still as powerful and desirable now as it was when it began. I have found the colours used in the dresses very inspiring and could see myself possibly using techniques such as felting in the colours YSL has used. Although the colours are bright colours like Andy Warhol’s work, these dresses only uses primary colours, which make them even more amazing as they have used such simple colours.

Leather jeans

I got these as a present for christmas from Urban Outfitters and have worn them ever since. They are perfect paired with a blouse and denim jacket when going out for dinner or even worn to lectures and seminars.

I particularly like the detailing on the leg as pictured below with an abstract arrangement of the leather on each leg. They are different to a lot of the other jeans I have seen which tend to have tacky looking strips of leather. As all items I have from Urban Outfitters have, they have lasted well without any fading or ageing happening to the black jean material. 

Matthew Williamson

The brand first debuted with the collection ‘Electric Angels’ at London fashion week in 1997 and has gone from success to success ever since.

The brand has collaborated with a diverse range of companies from Swarovski in 2012 to coca cola in 2003. Its most famous collaboration is probably that with H&M where a holiday wardrobe featuring kaftans and bikinis in his signature style were created. This was one of H&M’s most successful collaborations with a high end designer.

Four women’s ready to wear collections are released annually into three flagship stores in Dubai, Qatar and the award-winning store in Mayfair. MatthewWilliamson is also sold across 170 prestigious wholesale accounts.

MatthewWilliamson trademark pieces are evening dresses in his signature style – combining colour, print and embellishment.  

 “I’m continually inspired by nature and the rainbow is one of nature’s greatest optical phenomenons. The sighting of a rainbow never fails to bring a smile to people’s faces. They signify optimism and positivity: with them comes the sunshine after the rain.”

Matthew Williamson has been quoted saying that ‘The Matthew Williamson woman is feminine and sexy, fun and free-spirited with a laid-back approach to glamour’. This sums up his consumer as there is not one specific type of woman as his different labels appeal to different audiences. Under the Matthew Williamson brand there are labels including ‘Butterfly by Matthew Williamson’, ‘Muse by Matthew Williamson’ and ‘Matthew Williamson’.

Matthew Williamson is a very unique brand who I would most closely compare with Monsoon due to its embellished and heavily patterned designs. However there is a significant difference in the price range of them both. Therefore its competitors would be brands such as Lanvin, Stella McCartney and Missoni. Missoni uses bright colours and pattern similarly to Matthew Williamson however this is a chevron print as opposed to the florals of Matthew Williamson.

Seminar: Rebranding

Rebranding Jameson's whiskey

TASK

Your agency has been selected to pitch for a new communication campaign.

You should present an integrated approach with a 'multi-channel' approach.

There should be consideration for all parts of the brand journey (awareness, engagement, conversions).

Think about - launch event, press adverts, websites, social media. What's the big idea?

IDEA

> Change bottle design: street graffiti - would attract younger audience, people may initially purchase for bottle design then like taste and repeat purchase.

> Rooftop/graffiti event: Would reinvent the brand as a cooler, younger & more appealing brand.

Brainstorm of my group's ideas for the rebrand pictured above (live graffiti art, product placement, cocktails experimenting with mixers - create relation with art & music)