Bonk Lube Brand Refresh & Packaging Design
Time for change
Bonk Lube wanted a big refresh to their brand. The existing brand had served them well, but was needing to modernise and allow for range expansion. We explored what the brand was all about, and then it was up to me to come up with a solution to firstly rebrand and then re-design the packaging range.
First steps
One of the first projects on the refresh was looking at packaging alternatives. There was a call for a more ecologically friendly, lower impact solution to packaging. Using the existing brand I developed a paper loop wrap that hooked on to the tube at each end creating a fully glue free folding solution for a packaging change.
A need to rebrand
In doing the first packaging prototypes, we discussed the brand and how it needed an update. When developing the LBGTQI+ product there was concern conveyed from that community that the bonk logo was very heterosexual based. The meaning may have been for men and women, but could also be interpreted as a man and a woman.
From a design perspective the ring helps give the brand some identity over and above the name, overall feel is minimal and clean.
Where it has issues is around balance and hierarchy, but they are minor. When looking closer at the wordmark it has a nice geometric feel - but the stems do interrupt the flow a lot. So the design move from my perspective will be to keep the geometric form but smooth it out to be rounder. When the logo is stacked there are some shapes that come together, a face shape, a bit like Clippie the infamous Microsoft helper tool that was universally hated but is now making a comeback maybe.
A new logo was developed. The new logo was also a typography treatment, and in fact a kind of evolution. To go with the smooth sensual nature of the brand update the characters were given smooth curves, stems and serifs of the previous logo were removed. The type changed from a light variant to a strong bold weight.
Initial brand implementation
As the new vision for the brand was taking shape, there was a a big shift away from the traditional tube and box packaging that had been used. The choice was made to go with an airless pump, something that can look after the product better, be recycled and have more impact on in a crowded market.
Pastel colours and muted tones of clay-like crucibles were liked on Pinterest. From these suggested pins a set of packaging style mockup colourways were produced. I had used a cobalt blue on the cover of the prop and that colour led well into the brand name working well on lots of pastel colours.
Colourway Sampling: Taking colourways from the previous visual influence and combining them, the deep blue colour is used as the ‘dark’ and then colour shift s are moved around that.
Colour choice for the bases is darker, more muted and chalky in tone.
Consistent blue across the products.
Sample faux design to get more in the packaging head space.
Deeper colours would be using reversed out type - but this positive style type stands out better.
Pastel punch - kapow
Colourway Refinement: We worked through some colours and did testing of how they worked together. From this testing an aubergine colour was liked a lot. This was paired with a golden apricot, then other colours came through and there is a mix of 4 colours on 4 products that combine together.
Two designs reverse out, two are positive colourways.
4 colours used on 4 products, type and backgrounds combine and swap around.
Faux packaging was quickly done and even then the colours changed to be more tactile, this where the colour may also shi if the tactile results are liked we can shift the base colours in to this space.
Faux real
Putting the colours on some random airless pumps - all same size of course but they wont be - we can see how the colours behave together. With the mockup the multiply colour overlay effect makes the packaging change tone and shimmer almost like they do in real life on the shelf.
Completely faux, so they could be tubes, pumps or airless’.
The colours all have good contrast and then all work together. Each variant has a colour from the another.
The top two products, water and oil are the only live products at that moment so is this colour match between each as the other products will come in time but are not part of the current shelf stock.
Colour combinations
Colourway Refinement: We worked through more colours and did testing of how they worked together. Refining a mix of 4 colours on 4 products that combine together.
Two designs reverse out, two are positive colourways.
4 colours used on 4 products, type and backgrounds combine and swap around.
Shootout, pew pew!
Updated Colourway Refinement Faux Packaging Shoot-out! Some colours have been refined with blues replacing the aqua colour in the royal colourways. The pastels got updated and a new blue and pink combo colourway has been made.
Pastels have a uniform blue on them and as noted seem like a tight family.
Royals were updated to include a blue now to match the blue pink preferences. The colourway changes make this set more disparate than either of the others.
A blue pink combo was developed where the colourways use the blue and purple colourways and combine with a yellow. This set has variety but also more obvous brand family ties.
Purple shootout, purw purw!
Purple testing: Purples matched with yellow golds, muted and bright combinations.
The first, with water on it, is bright and punchy. This one will match the other two products well.
The second, oil one, is much deeper and more subtle, premium feeling.
The third, baby one, is more blue-purple and gold, more like the royal version.
The fourth, butt one, is more royal, glam style.
Packaging design
100ml pump artwork was created to the suppliers specs. The logo was requested to be large and in charge, and with the excess product outside the print area the logo was put almost margin to margin of the print limits.
The blue and pink variants won the shootouts for these concepts. The data from the existing packaging was bought across and laid out in water and oil variants.
Vertical type for the instructions and ingredients helps to minimise load and allow for better comprehension of the different information areas depending on the orientation of the pump.
Brand direction change
It was at this point that the whole project changed. The brand was about to have a massive shift, a move to change the brand name, change the vision, expand the range, open up opportunities and be free to create something special. Below was the first look at that where Bonk was still used as part of the name of the product. The new brand ‘Rumer’ was to replace Bonk Lube and be a general sensual brand.
