ACQUA DI PARMA
CRYSTAL INCENSE
︎WORLDWIDE, 2024
ART DIRECTION | PACKAGING DESIGN | 3D DESIGN
Primary and secondary packaging for Crystal Incense, Acqua di Parma’s newest addition to their Signatures of the Sun collection and a Selfridges exclusive.
︎︎︎ IDEA TO EXECUTION
CRYSTAL INCENSE
︎WORLDWIDE, 2024
ART DIRECTION | PACKAGING DESIGN | 3D DESIGN
Primary and secondary packaging for Crystal Incense, Acqua di Parma’s newest addition to their Signatures of the Sun collection and a Selfridges exclusive.
︎︎︎ IDEA TO EXECUTION
1 CONCEPT AND VISION
The challenge: Acqua di Parma came to Ellen with one goal: design the packaging for their newest fragrance to celebrte the conjunctions between the brand’s ethos, the fragrance’s craftsmanship and Selfridge’s contemporary approach as an exclusive product to the department store. Conceived as a celebration of light, texture, and sensory intrigue, the project demanded a visual identity that transcended traditional packaging, one that focused on capturing both the warmth of the Mediterranean sun and the intangible poetry of smoke from incense itself. The packaging aimed to be an experience that evoked feelng; it would unfold not merely just for the product reveal, but as an immersive encounter that translated the feeling and scent composition into a more concrete form.
The challenge: Acqua di Parma came to Ellen with one goal: design the packaging for their newest fragrance to celebrte the conjunctions between the brand’s ethos, the fragrance’s craftsmanship and Selfridge’s contemporary approach as an exclusive product to the department store. Conceived as a celebration of light, texture, and sensory intrigue, the project demanded a visual identity that transcended traditional packaging, one that focused on capturing both the warmth of the Mediterranean sun and the intangible poetry of smoke from incense itself. The packaging aimed to be an experience that evoked feelng; it would unfold not merely just for the product reveal, but as an immersive encounter that translated the feeling and scent composition into a more concrete form.
2 CEMENTING THE FLEETING- ARTISTIC INSPIRATIONS
Crystal Incense was to inspiration primarily from the fleeting nature of incense smoke and Acqua di Parma’s Arte di Vivere (Art of Living). Translating the ephemerality of this norion into form required exploring how movement, light, and presence could coexist while remaining rooted in the brand’s Italian heritage. Drawing from the world’s natural beauty through smoke studies and Canaletto’s expressive brushwork, the design reflects the juxtapositions in the fragrance and brands; both rich and light whilst also contemporary yet timeless. A 3D smoke simulation enabled the organic flow to be sculpted with precision and enabled it to evolve by applying a glass material onto it. The final artwork captures the illusion of motion with this, one suspended, luminous, and fleeting yet cemented in tactility.
Crystal Incense was to inspiration primarily from the fleeting nature of incense smoke and Acqua di Parma’s Arte di Vivere (Art of Living). Translating the ephemerality of this norion into form required exploring how movement, light, and presence could coexist while remaining rooted in the brand’s Italian heritage. Drawing from the world’s natural beauty through smoke studies and Canaletto’s expressive brushwork, the design reflects the juxtapositions in the fragrance and brands; both rich and light whilst also contemporary yet timeless. A 3D smoke simulation enabled the organic flow to be sculpted with precision and enabled it to evolve by applying a glass material onto it. The final artwork captures the illusion of motion with this, one suspended, luminous, and fleeting yet cemented in tactility.
3 EXECUTION AND OUTCOME
The Crystal Incense launch came to life through pop-up activations at Selfridges London and Selfridges Trafford Centre, running from mid-April to early May 2024. Alongside appearing as a hero story on the Selfridges homepage, this placed the fragrance at the heart of two major UK retail destinations and to the rest of the world digitally.
The launch was supported by notable social media engagement and press visibility with several social posts from Acqua di Parma, fragrance communities as well as lifestyle profiles showcasing interest around the product imagery soon after release. Selfridges’ positioning of Crystal Incense across its curated beauty exclusives amplified visibility among luxury shoppers.
The Crystal Incense launch came to life through pop-up activations at Selfridges London and Selfridges Trafford Centre, running from mid-April to early May 2024. Alongside appearing as a hero story on the Selfridges homepage, this placed the fragrance at the heart of two major UK retail destinations and to the rest of the world digitally.
The launch was supported by notable social media engagement and press visibility with several social posts from Acqua di Parma, fragrance communities as well as lifestyle profiles showcasing interest around the product imagery soon after release. Selfridges’ positioning of Crystal Incense across its curated beauty exclusives amplified visibility among luxury shoppers.