So now that we have a custom-designed, hand-blown glass vessel, we can't cover it up with a big label!
I took inspiration from wine bottle labeling for our vessel's label strategy: an art label on front with a utility label on back.
Using the brand's circular design language, I created art to express each candle's name.
The top portion of the vessel transitions to thin glass to make a nice rim for drinking. The interior walls are square, making wax removal as easy as possible in the upcycling process.
The 2-way ACF logo is embossed in the glass bottom so it will remain through upcycling. ACF's 2-way logo reflects the brand's concept of seeing/using something in multiple ways.
The bottom of the glass mimics stacked disks in a continuous circle. The mirror of this makes for a coaster into which the glass nests.
labels + packaging
Founder Lorig came to me with her candle company, A Candle For. The brand's name was often mis-said, the design and packaging did not reflect her aesthetic, and most importantly, the brand's mission was getting lost.
This is a brand that seeks to reconnect people with their senses, helping them to slow down and to live with intention. It was inspired from the founder's own experience with burnout living and working in NYC.
Our first strategic step was transitioning "A Candle For" to its nickname "ACF," keeping the brand's foundation while shifting to a more memorable and easy to say name. Next...keying in on its vibe and vision.
It's hard to say what came first, the "Mantra" mark or the vessel. I knew I wanted the two to play off one another, so they were designed somewhat concurrently.
The Mantra mark is extruded in 3D to create the Mantra vessel, The glass is designed to tap into the user's sense of touch. We 3D printed iterations of the design to make sure it felt good in the hand, from candle to drinking glass.
Lorig's dream for ACF was the brand's customer lifecycle: that each burned candle would be upcycled to a drinking glass. But what makes a person want to upcycle and keep the glass?
Our answer was to design a beautiful custom vessel, to be handblown in Brooklyn. This new vessel, paired with ACF's brand strategy for messaging, content, and events would make Lorig's brand lifecycle a reality.
This is where the mantra logo and vessel came to life.
I love this business card. It's simple, yet bold. It leaves room to interpret, to breathe. This brand is deeply conceptual, and it was my goal to have every last element reflect and honor its ethos.
I broke up the Mantra mark for the votive vessel design. Each votive is a single Mantra disk, a circle with a scoop taken out so it can nest against another.
Eight together make a full Mantra circle, or any number can create an organic, winding form.
acf
The full Mantra logo is introduced on the inner flap, to be discovered during unboxing.
I'm a fan of unexpected copy, so we went for a bold "here is what we're about" chunk paragraph on the back of the box.
The candle names come from founder Lorig's original poems for each scent. Not wanting to lose this part of the brand's heritage, the poems are now on match boxes with the shadow mark of the candle's label art.
The boxes lean into one of ACF's core brand motifs: fine art, creating a museum feel for the packaging.
Because the brand name is newly ACF, we chose to lead with the simplest logo mark in order to create clear name identification.
the above images do not belong to me,
they are for moodboard purposes only.
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Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.
The candle names come from founder Lorig's original poems for each scent. Not wanting to lose this part of the brand's heritage, the poems are now on match boxes with the shadow mark of the candle's label art.
acf
It's hard to say what came first, the "Mantra" mark or the vessel. I knew I wanted the two to play off one another, so they were designed somewhat concurrently.
The Mantra mark is extruded in 3D to create the Mantra vessel, with ACF embossed in the glass bottom so it will remain through upcycling.
The top portion of the vessel transitions to thin glass to make a nice rim for drinking.
The interior walls are square, making wax removal as easy as possible in the upcycling process.
The bottom of the glass mimics stacked disks in a continuous circle. The mirror of this makes for a coaster into which the glass nests.
I broke up the Mantra mark for the votive vessel design. Each votive is a single Mantra disk, a circle with a scoop taken out so it can nest against another.
Eight together make a full mantra circle, or any number can create an organic, winding form.
So now that we have a custom-designed, hand-blown glass vessel, we can't cover it up with a big label!
I took inspiration from wine bottle labeling for our vessel's label strategy: An art label on front with a utility label on back. Using the brand's circular design language, I created art for Each label to express the candle's name.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.
I love this business card. It's simple, yet bold. It leaves room to interpret, to breathe. This brand is deeply conceptual, and it was my goal to have every last element reflect and honor its ethos.
acf
The boxes lean into one of ACF's core brand motifs: fine art, creating a museum feel for the packaging.
Because the brand name is newly ACF, we chose to lead with the simplest logo mark in order to create clear name identification.
