Seepje
Designing an iconic, recycled and recyclable packaging solution.
Project description
Challenge
Our mission was to create a packaging design that clearly communicated the eco-friendly credentials of the brand whilst also reflecting the product’s intended purpose in an intuitive way – to design a sustainable solution without compromising on desirability.
Initially keen to avoid the use of plastic, but without an alternative material able to hit all our objectives, we began exploring the life cycle of plastic which, in the Netherlands, has a rather advanced sorting process with 60% of materials being able to be fully recycled. Using recycled plastic is of course not without its challenges; we would need to identify the limitations of the material, such as the reduced quality as compared to virgin plastic in terms of both rigidity and colour purity, and design around them.
Solution
Seepje is Dutch for “soap bar” which inspired the design of the structural packaging, reminiscent of a traditional bar of soap. A simple and iconic design, creating fantastic stand-out on shelf and highly effective at communicating the honesty of the brand and its products.
Employing circular models, the Seepje packaging is made from recycled plastic and is fully recyclable due to the use of both a HDPE mono plastic and the fact that the label is slid on rather than stuck on, allowing the avoidance of glue and therefore ease of separation when recycling.
Results
Working quickly and efficiently, we were able to help Seepje ‘raise the bar’ within the laundry category, realising the brand’s vision and helping them secure listings in over 2000 stores, with 15 SKUs in 5 product categories. The new packaging launched in 2017 and saw the brand grow by an impressive 79%, outperforming all expectations the following year with a whopping 210% growth. Unchanged 5 years on, the iconic shape has allowed for continuous growth opportunities, pushing into other categories and securing new market share in home cleaning and hand cleansing. Seepje continues to innovate and thrive by leveraging the benefits of a combined sustainable and desirable offer.
