As we’re edging closer to Christmas, we thought we’d share some unused pitch work that we created a while ago for Iconic British Luxury Department Store Harvey Nichols.
We were invited by the Harvey Nichols marketing team to reinvent their widely recognised Food Store packaging range. Although their food packaging was iconic, unfortunately, trends shift and as it hadn’t been changed for over 20 years, it was time for a refresh.
The task was to update the entire food range; From Chocolate and Party Snacks to Preserves and Christmas Ranges. The ranges needed to feel cohesive, yet unique and most importantly iconically ‘Harvey Nics’.
Finding Something Forward-Thinking in the Familiar
Although the pre-existing Harvey Nichols packaging was dated, it was still very recognisable and Iconic to the brand. Therefore, we decided to look at evolution instead of revolution, taking inspiration from the white rectangular ‘window’ device that was ever-present across product ranges.
A Window of Opportunity
We cleaned up the layout and hierarchy of the iconic ‘Window’ design then used this as an anchor to build the packaging design around. The idea was to create a timeless system that had the potential to keep reinventing for years to come, whilst retaining consistency.
Versatile, Unique & Iconic
The magic of the 'Window' concept is that artwork/design can be easily swapped out within the brand window to ensure that each piece of packaging is versatile and unique whilst still retaining its iconic ' Harvey Nics' recognisability.
Party Snacks
Taking inspiration from the vintage photography of the original Iconic Harvey Nichols packaging, we designed the Party Snack packaging as a modern spin on a similar concept, as well as a nod to the classic ranges. We created collages by combining vintage black and white photography with abstract coloured paint explorations inspired by the individual ingredients of the products, in this case, Peanut Crackers, Chilli Clusters and Wasabi Peas.
A Nod to Iconic British Fashion
Throughout the packaging, where possible and relevant, we tried to include subtle nods to not only Britishness in general (in this case Wasabi peas being used to represent raindrops) but also to Iconic moments in British fashion specifically (in this case represented by the stylish lady wearing a classic Blazer and Pencil Skirt combination).
Tea & Coffee
We collaborated with forward-thinking up and coming British Artist Joel Burden, to create playful illustrations of modern personalities to represent each of the different strains of Coffee and Tea. The Examples pitched included a Sophisticated Gentlemen to represent the 'Breakfast Blend Coffee' paired with the charming messaging line of 'Tall, Dark and Flavoursome' as well as a Free-Spirit Hippy Chick to represent the 'Jasmine Flower Tea' paired with the witty messaging line of 'Fruity, Aromatic and Care Free'.
Playful, Fearless Copywriting
This playful tongue in cheek copywriting was key to the concept of the packaging ranges, and was carried throughout all the pieces we created, as the core aim was to stay true to the core values of Harvey Nichols, which is to 'Stand out with a Playful Attitude and always be Fearlessly Stylish'.
Luxury Chocolate Bars
The luxury chocolate was arguably the most paired-back design in the range but still packed a huge punch. We wanted to show how the packaging system could scale from being more bold and playful right the way through to being a little bit more premium and sensible. With this in mind, we created abstract explorations of colour, pattern and a range of textures as a visual representation of the unique flavour combinations within the Harvey Nichols range of luxury chocolate bars.
