Design Interview: Belinda Rush-Carville
Belinda Rush-Carville V'Tae
By Marie Redding, Senior EditorAsk Belinda Rush-Carville what she dislikes most about today's retail packages and she'll say, "It's really sad that everything's becoming so homogenized." Displeased by corporate-looking, mass-produced packages, Rush-Carville, president and founder of V'Tae (Nevada City, CA), ensures that her company's aromatherapy products are filled and hand-packaged in-house by her staff.
V'Tae, which has maintained a loyal customer following for almost 14 years, has faced off with a large corporation before. When Rush-Carville first launched her company with the name Vitae (Latin for life), The Dow Chemical Co. informed Rush-Carville that Vitae was a Dow product name, and so Rush-Carville's Vitae was changed to V'Tae.
A flask filled with authentic seashells is one of V'Tae's trademark packages. Because Rush-Carville recognizes that innovation is key to market survival, V'Tae's packaging underwent a full makeover in fall 2002. "Every SKU in the line has been changed to some extent; the old packages looked a little more subdued," Rush-Carville says, adding that feedback from the brand's retailers, including 3000 health-food, spa, and specialty stores, has been "fabulous."
V'Tae's new containers include custom-molded frosted footed bottles for the Spa, Endangered Species, Single Note, and Healing collections, and custom-purple bottles for the Garden Collection. "I choose classic package shapes like flasks and Boston Rounds," says Rush-Carville.
The company's labels were redesigned to be more colorful. For instance, the New Naturals body mist labels are now striped like "fresh, crisp bed linens and beach towels," Rush-Carville describes. Though the New Naturals scents, including Rain Blossom and Summer Cooler, are aromatherapy based, the labels emphasize the fragrances' fun and relaxing scents, rather than their ingredients. "I wanted the packages' appeal to bridge the gap between the aromatherapy novice and the expert," says Rush-Carville. "The products have aromatherapy benefits but are also designed to be a perfume."
Rush-Carville draws most of V'Tae's label art herself, and the labels are applied by the firm's staff. "On a few occasions I've found a label placed a little crookedly, but so far customers haven't complained," she says.
Environmental friendliness continues to be one of the main focuses of V'Tae, which donates 10 to 20% of its profits to environmental and other charities. Recyclable glass and plastic containers are used. The company also uses surplus packages from distributors such as TricorBraun whenever possible.
In 2001, V'Tae launched its Endangered Species line to promote environmental awareness. The product labels feature hand-drawn animals and product names like Rhino Rubdown, Hippo Glo, Lizard Luster, and Salamander Soother. "I thought playful designs would draw attention to a serious matter," says Rush-Carville.
"The new packaging is contemporary but still reflects our brand's values," says Rush-Carville. "Every package that leaves our factory has been handled by five or six staff members. Our packages carry a human touch, and people can better relate to that, rather than to something that's machine-assembled. Our customers tell us that they like what we're doing, and their feedback is a vital part of our business!"