JKR

Founded in Carlisle in 1831, Carr’s biscuits have established their place on many a British cheese board. As the brand expanded, the blue packaging became increasingly difficult to navigate therefore we needed to differentiate the ranges, injecting a sense of personality into each.

With this in mind, the new design aims to give the brand a more contemporary feel, while building awareness around the brand’s wide array of products. From the classic Table Water biscuits to Carr’s Melts, there is now a more defined design architecture to help consumers navigate the range while giving the brand a greater sociable feel.

“The main ambition was to build conviviality and make the brand more relevant to a modern audience, while staying true to Carr’s long established heritage. Colour was a key tool which we adopted to help navigation and inject some more personality into this well known brand.” Donna Trist, Design Director, jkr.

Accompanying the relaunch, the Carr’s Christmas tin was also updated with a fresh new look…

When it comes to Erno Laszlo, the name tells the story. 
Hollywood legends from Audrey Hepburn to Marilyn Monroe have entrusted their skin to Erno Laszlo’s vision, using Laszlo’s products as part of their daily skin care. Famously, Audrey Hepburn declared that “I owe 50% of my beauty to my mother and the other 
50% to Erno Laszlo.”

To celebrate this exciting heritage, Erno Laszlo is launching the Hollywood Collection for its 85th anniversary. The packaging, designed by jkr, contain 5 custom formulated  skincare blends inspired by  Erno Laszlo’s most famous and iconic Hollywood muses – Marilyn Monroe, Grace Kelly, Katharine Hepburn, Greta Garbo and Ava Gardner.

“In terms of the design, the ambition was to evoke the glamour of 1940′s Hollywood, without using traditional clichés. We wanted the Collection to reflect the great legends at the heart of the brand while amplifying Erno Laszlo’s existing equities” Adam Swan, Designer, jkr.

The display aspect was also a key consideration in this project with the creation of a unique unit to house the product. “The ‘wave’ display was inspired by the sweeping red carpet, in keeping with the Hollywood stars who were devotees of the products” Chris Jenkins, Structural Designer, jkr.

According to the team at Erno Laszlo, “We’re delighted with the design solution by jkr. It builds on our unique heritage of Hollywood glamour in a contemporary and sophisticated way.”

The Hollywood Collection will be launching globally this month in department stores. The response so far has been overwhelmingly positive with the highest sell-in at retail for a special edition achieved.

What makes a champion of design? The latest jkr book attempts to answer this question by focusing on 25 brands; some famous, some less obvious, but all great. It’s a book about design, but also the people who create and manage it – the champions who can teach us all a lesson. Full of facts, trivia and insight, all served up in bite sized slices.

Here’s what you will find if you take a look inside…

You can view the book online (above). Alternatively, you can download your very own copy by clicking on the link here. If you’re lucky enough to be viewing it on an iPad, we recommend using iBooks.

About 18 months ago, a former jkr contact asked if we could help out with a voluntary redesign project in Sierra Leone. Happy to help, a team of jkr volunteers started working on a new design for baby food company, Bennimix.

The challenge was to create a new look for the brand which was struggling to hold its own against imported competitors. “When it came to the design, retaining the elements which made the brand recognisable was key, but we wanted to give them meaning and make them actually stand for something. As such, the blue became the sky and the green became the grass. The baby then brought all elements of the design together.” Martin Francis, Design Director, jkr. “We also looked at the use of different materials utilising a metallised substrate to help elevate the product into a more premium arena, by clever use of the inks available.” Giles Heselwood, Artworker, jkr.

The tired look of the original packaging was struggling to support the nutritional nature of the product. As a result, creating a distinctive design that established Bennimix as a credible brand was fundamental to try and ensure its future success. The benefits of which are far reaching; not only will it help the family-run Bennimix company, it’s 100% made in Sierra Leone so supports local farmers and families too.

So well done Martin, Giles, Alex, Stuart & Nick for taking the time to help, making Bennimix a proud new arrival.

This week sees the launch of the 2011 Penhaligon’s Christmas Gift Collection, designed by jkr.

The range conveys the premium elegance associated with the Penhaligon’s brand whilst playing on its wit and humor. “Our brief to jkr was to create a box that would both charm the customer with some British eccentricity whilst ensuring it felt like a bespoke gift” said Sarah Rotheram, CEO, Penhaligon’s. “The box needed to be a keepsake item with standalone appeal. At first glance the packaging was to appear beautiful but with a reason to look a little closer.”

“We landed on the theme of Hidden London” said Jovan Buac, Account Director, jkr. “This felt rich in creativity and we explored this idea through a number of different avenues. The idea of life behind closed doors in Victorian London allowed us to express the Penhaligon’s wit and eccentricity in an engaging way that came from the brand” added Buac. The range depicts a Victorian household, with three box sizes that stack to create a six storey house. “The design delivers the madness one would expect from a bonkers British household, with all the hustle and bustle of life in the decadent surroundings of a Victorian home” said Sarah Rotheram, CEO, Penhaligon’s.

As always, the Penhaligon’s Christmas packaging should have a festive appeal but without direct references to Christmas clichés. “The boxes are a visual treat and take inspiration from Victorian dolls’ houses, as well as Victorian architecture and dress” said Matt Gilpin, Design Director, jkr. “The front of the house is based on the Penhaligon’s shop front in Covent Garden, London, giving the design more depth and meaning. The illustrative style hides a variety of different scenes which leave you constantly searching for more hidden goings on”. The brief also included the structural design, meaning the aesthetic needed to balance with the safe transportation of breakable goods. The historical hat box with carry handle idea was continued this year, with grosgrain two-tone ribbons to match the graphics.

“The boxes needed to look clean and crisp to counteract the detailed illustrations. We used a metallised paper stock with a satin finish, which gave a shimmer to the boxes. The use of punchy colours and heavy gold foiling on the front created a box with real gift appeal” said Judith Allan, Production Director, jkr.

Sarah Rotheram, CEO, Penhaligon’s said “We are delighted with the final collection and personally, I find more hidden stories in the design every time I pick up the packaging!”

The collection of eight boxes will be available in Penhaligon’s stores and select retailers this Christmas, priced between £35 and £110.