The LUXE Unboxing Experience
How we did it
How we did it
In the era where online shopping is king and more and more retailers are ditching or avoiding the brick and mortar storefront, how you convey your brand and create a lasting impression through packaging has become more important than ever. While packaging used to be simply about “protecting” the product in transit, it has evolved to become a direct opportunity to market what makes your business different and to build a real connection with your customers. That’s why when LUXE Botanics asked us to create postal packaging for their luxury skincare products, we set out to create the ultimate, now award-winning “unboxing experience”.
What is an “unboxing experience”?
An unboxing experience is simply that: the experience of removing a product from a box.
It sounds straightforward and simple, but for a brand like LUXE Botanics, who operate primarily as an online store, it can be the first physical experience that their customer has with their product. It presents a real opportunity for brands like LUXE Botanics to demonstrate what their brand is about.
How did we create the award-winning “LUXE Unboxing Experience”?
Mindful of LUXE Botanics’ status as a high end, luxury skincare brand, our custom packaging and paper engineering specialist design team understood that it was vital that every stage of the customer experience, including receiving the product by post, coincided with their image and emanated their values. In order to achieve this stellar result, we took the following necessary steps:
Step 1: Understanding the “why”
To create what would be the ultimate unboxing experience for their customers, the first step in our collaborative creative process was to work closely with LUXE Botanics to understand the purpose of their packaging, as well as their brand, their values and non-negotiables. From this, we spent some time creating a specific customer journey map that focused on the touchpoint of the delivery of their products and how this experience could essentially emanate the entire brand philosophy.
Once we understood their “why” and had solidified it in our minds, we were able to move onto Step 2.
Step 2: Concept Design and Microtesting
At this stage of the process we got to put on our designer hats and create a concept design that reflected everything we learnt in Step 1. After we were satisfied with the concept design, we got microtesting. This process involved us mocking up mini versions using scrap paper to assess the overall concept prior to investing in full sized prototyping. Once we and LUXE Botanics were satisfied with the concept, we moved onto stage 3.
Step 3: Prototyping and Testing
This is the stage it starts to get serious and seriously fun. To ensure that our design was the best it could be, we enlisted the paper wizardry assistance of Platypus Graphics. They worked closely with us to identify the right stock, refine the design, create full-size prototypes and test them. Once we had a prototype we were stoked with, we gave it to LUXE Botanics for their tick of approval before moving onto stage 4.
Step 4: The Final Product
With the Australian-made prototype being given multiple thumbs up, the final product was produced by a reputable supplier in China. While we often advocate local printing, it was necessary in this case to work with an overseas supplier. The thrilling end result was a simple, outer shipper with a cut brandmark seal which when opened reveals an inner elegant white box, with a blind embossed, matte silver foil sticker, with the angles of the flaps emanating LUXE’s brandmark “X”. Once opened it reveals a glimpse of scenes of nature, a simple thank you, and a hidden message to create a personal touch, making this unboxing a truly individual experience.
End note
This unboxing masterpiece has since been recognised by the wider print and design community, winning Gold at both the 2019 Queensland State and Australian National PICA awards.
If you need packaging that can connect with your customers and promote your brand, our expert packaging team is ready and eager to help.
Doing things differently starts with a conversation.