Background

Classic is a new range of premium men’s deodorants from Wild Stone, maker of popular fragrances. The classic range re-introduces three quintessential masculine fragrances—musk, leather and cologne.

The ask was to design a pack that could tell the story of each fragrance’s passage through the ages.

Strategy

The three fragrances—musk, leather and cologne have become categories unto themselves. A proof of the popularity and ubiquity of these scents. Awareness was not an issue.

We thought placing the scents in historical time periods most closely associated with the origins could lead to interesting ideas for storytelling.

We gave each variant a distinct time and place in history, spanning the globe, from Asia to Europe and America, amidst the cultures that influenced the evolution of these fragrances.

Design

On the pack is a visual historiography of the eras that these fragrances belong to. We used cultural references and artefacts from these specific times and places to bring the age to life.

Musk belongs to the golden Asian age, amidst grand palaces, hookahs, palm trees and the occasional snake. It harks back to an era of opulent indulgence, where musk found its first serious patrons.

Cologne is European, with imperial insignias, crests, ship sails and masts dominating the pack. Imperial Europe is where cologne took birth and the pack pays tribute to the monarchies and seafaring culture of the time.

Leather is set in the wild American west. Dusty desert, sweltering heat and cowboys—a hotbed upon which many a manly man has made his bones or died trying. Boots, guns, horseshoes and bone dry cattle skulls make the west truly wild.

Impact

The pack separates Classic from a sea of generic offerings in the market and lends powerful storytelling support to advertising.