In Closing: A Stylish Box
Could Anthony Logistics for Men's shaving cream, which is currently in a tube, soon be in an Airspray dispenser like the brand's Little Men hair and body wash? Outer packaging makes Joya's candles unique.
By Marie Redding, Senior Editor
A well-designed outer box sets the Joya scented candle line apart from others. The outer packaging even helped influence buyers from the New York City Museum of Modern Art Design Store last July. Thanks in part to its packaging, the Joya collection became the first line of scented candles chosen to be sold by the museum's retailer. Its look could even inspire new styles of cosmetic and personal care product boxes. Will Airspray's dispenser revolutionize shaving? "That, I'm not sure about, but it's possible," says Anthony Sosnick, president and founder of the skincare line Anthony Logistics. He uses an Airspray dispenser for a foaming hand soap in his Little Men line. However, the Anthony Logistics for Men brand includes a shave cream and shave gel, both packaged in tubes. Sosnick says he has found that thicker cream or gel formulations provide a closer shave. But he agrees that the market potential is still there. "Every consumer likes different textures. Some men and women might just prefer a foam. We would like to look into the possibility of using Airspray's dispenser for more applications because it's a great package," he says.
"We wanted to make the box look very special so that the candle was packaged like a gift," says Frederick Bouchardy, Joya's founder. "Too many people seem content with recycling the same design ideas and themes. We spent five months working on the box's design." Bouchardy enlisted the help of two friends to create the box: industrial designer Susan Scior and graphic designer Julia Kots.
"We love modern, functional styles and were inspired by Japanese packages," says Bouchardy. The low-key color palette and the box's clean shape complement the candles' natural ingredients. The ornate graphics add an elegant, luxurious look. Scior describes the box by saying, "It's a well-balanced design. It doesn't scream too loudly, but still attracts interest."
The lid fits over the box's base so that the bottom of the base remains visible. This allows customers to see the band of delicate flowers printed on the bottom of the base. "The box is a fresh interpretation of the telescope box style," says Scior. "As the lid is lifted off, the smooth, sliding motion of it invites the user to interact with it. There's something gentle about the way it opens. It evokes a calming feeling because you aren't tearing something apart."
A decorative and functional elastic cord fits perfectly into die-cut notches on the sides, holding the box closed. The faint light-yellow striped pattern on the box's background was inspired by rice paper. Kots describes the graphics as "a modern take on the style of art nouveau."
The box is produced by Color Optics (Saddlebrook, NJ). Richard Kline, vice president of manufacturing, Color Optics, says, "We used our in-house lab for the color-matching process. Printing was a bit of a challenge because the notches on both the box's top and bottom parts had to line up. So the graphics had to be printed precisely." Solid-bleached-sulfate board in 24 point was used in order to support the weight of the candle's glass jar inside.
Bouchardy, who is 25 years old, founded the Joya company in 2003. He plans to launch new products this summer. "I am so proud when I hear that people notice the details in what we do," he says. "It means our hard work is paying off.".