Williams-Sonoma and Raison Pure
Redefine Upscale Home Living

by Ron Romanik

In 1952, Chuck Willams left his home in Sonoma, CA, to explore the culinary traditions of Paris. There he discovered the classic French cooking equipment that was specialized to the cooking task. Knowing there was nothing like this in America, he purchased a hardware store in Sonoma with the intention of converting it to a cookware store.

Today, one of the 255 Williams-Sonoma stores is a fixture at any upscale mall worth its salt. A company that is equally niche catalog retailer and boutique chain has secured a dominant place in the upscale kitchen supply category. When they recently wanted to develop a line of soaps, lotions, and candles branded under the Williams-Sonoma name, they asked Raison Pure, a New York City design firm, to help develop the packaging and product simultaneously.

The Pure & Green line of products debuted in January with over 40 SKUs arranged in a special corner of Williams-Sonoma stores. The all-natural products developed with strong fruit and herb top tones are colorful and mostly packaged in clear bottles. As part of the "green" message, all the bottles are made from 25% post- consumer recycled plastic and are fully recyclable, though the PET is plenty clear enough to "let the product talk," according to Laurent Hainaut, president and CEO of Raison Pure. Hainaut directed a Raison Pure team that included project manager Erica Garvey and art directors Lisa Fisher and Allen Gaoiran.

Karen Rapoport, v.p. creative services at Williams-Sonoma, says that the packages represent the aspirational desires of your consumers. "The packaging speaks to the premium nature of product, which our customers come to rely on with Williams-Sonoma, " says Rapoport. "Our green positioning—delivered in packaging design and all marketing materials—helps customers feel confident in quality of product."

Mass boutique differentiation

The Pure & Green collection comprises nine product types in six scent variations for different levels of relaxation or revitalization. The line promotes natural living in a clean, fresh environment. According to Raison Pure, the packaging reinforces the idea of bringing well-being into the kitchen. The active ingredients are from natural sources, are biodegradable, and are not tested on animals. For instance, the Asian Plum/Mandarin fragrance claims to decrease stress and "Features plum, mandarin orange and bergamot layered with light floral accents of ylang ylang, marigold and rose. "

Williams-Sonoma's Rapoport explains that the company wanted their soaps and lotions program to stand alone, and not necessarily be closely aligned with previous Williams-Sonoma packaging. "This category needs to present itself very differently in our stores from the rest of our food, tabletop, and cooking prep items, " says Rapoport. "So we took a completely unique approach to the design without making it a disconnect for the brand. "

There's even a brushed silver pump for the hand soap and lotion bottles if you want to take the packages up a level—for $9 extra.

Raison Pure took the natural and pure design at mandate and used see-through ingredient illustrations in a natural palette of colors printed on the reverse side of clear labels. The watercolor paintings of fruit, herbs, and other ingredients—depending on the variety—grace the package elegantly and do not dominate the package. Usually only two ingredients are shown, such as grapefruit and ylang ylang, in a pastel still life. "The use of illustrations on the back panel to allow ingredients to seem'infused' into the product," says Rapoport.

The shapes are mostly custom-designed by Raison Pure, inspired from the elegant kitchen tradition that Williams-Sonoma emulates. The packages are meant to be kept out on kitchen counters, and Raison Pure believes the soft curves are a combination of technical, simple, and sensual. "We tried to build the line around a story of fragrance," Hainaut says. Rapoport concurs that the unique bottle forms speak to "boutique" shoppers by their allusion to common kitchen ingredients. In addition, the product coloring was just as an important element of the package design, and the colors were developed simultaneously in back-and-forth sessions between Williams-Sonoma and Raison Pure.

Accessorizing

According to Hainaut, the richness of the Pure & Green formulas and fragrances is conveyed in the richness of muted food colors and the food-category-like illustrations. To finish off the boutique message, the "white band" motif with vertically oriented text is consistently applied, reminiscent of classic apothecary labels or vintage spice jars. The white band reinforces principles in the Williams-Sonoma by offering a boutique-level promise of purity on top of the naturally juicy colors of the product. "It's very Williams-Sonoma to us," says Hainaut. "And that gives more freedom to the design.'

In the special corner of Williams-Sonoma stores, the Pure & Green products form a color-intense experience with in-store brochures and ample test bottles. If the attractive packages and colors are not classy enough on their own, there are racks and trays for holding your cleaning products. There's even a brushed silver pump for the hand soap and lotion bottles if you want to take the packages up a level —for $9 extra. As part of the "green" message, 54-oz. refill bottles are readily promoted.

Following the success of the Pure & Green line of kitchen products, Williams-Sonoma asked Raison Pure to develop the packaging for a line of Agave 15 Signature Margarita Mixes. Four different flavors are infused with exotic flavor accents —The Classic, Elderflower Twist, Golden Skirt, and Cherry Blossom—and four labels represent the richness of the mix inside. For the "Golden Skirt" variety, flavors of kiwi, cucumber, Key lime and Velvet Falernum accent the mix.

Raison Pure created a square footprint bottle with a heavy liquor-bottle presence and thick base. Vibrant illustrations, gold foil, attract attention for the shelf islands in the store. "The label and bottle elevates the cocktail to another dimension," says Hainaut. "The illustrations are very important for that."

Rapoport believes the elements of the Margarita packages grab attention and entice consumers to buy. "The bold graphic approach highlights flavor cues and builds a brand story," says Rapoport. "The custom bottle shape in premium quality glass combines for a completely untraditional approach to Margarita mix packaging. "

The Naked Truth

Nude is a new range of eco-friendly, all natural face and body products marketed boutique style at the high-end Barney's retail stores. The products and packages are inspired by the idea that what we put on our skin is as important as what we put in our mouths. Consequently, the products are 100% natural and organic where possible and free from parabens, sulphates, and other chemical additives.

Nude was launched by Brian Meehan, the brains behind the Fresh & Wild organic store chain in the U.K., now owned by Whole Foods Market. In recent years, design has been influenced by the rise of ethical consumerism and the potential satisfaction to be had by consuming brands that do "the right thing." Meehan believed that in the world of skincare and luxury, an ethical pat on the back isn't always enough.

Meehan asked the Pearlfisher design firm in New York City to help Nude bring together whiter-than-white worthiness with beauty counter glamour, creating a desirable brand by combining morality and sensuality. Pearlfisher created the brand identity including logotype, packaging, and website design. The design takes the Nude idea to its logical conclusion, communicating simplicity and purity with a pared down, minimal look and feel. The logotype uses the same simple U shape four times to spell out the word nude, while the color palette has a muted, earthy feel and uses custom colors to imitate the shades of nature.

The packaging structures continue this natural look and feel with simple, ergonomic curves and smooth tactile finishes inspired by river-worn pebbles. All the packages are 100% custom, and soft-touch finishes add to the high quality appeal of the product. Lastly, the directions and mandatory product information are printed on a removable and biodegradable sleeve that leaves the packages "nude" with only the logo and essential brand text.