Global skincare brand Olay wanted an innovative way to package one of their lead products – Total Effects Eyecare – as an exclusive line in Superdrug stores in the crucial Christmas gifting period. Their idea was to produce a plastic bauble which could be hung as a gift on a Christmas tree, and would have considerable stand-out on shelf. Their existing supplier base had been unable to rise to the challenge in time, and Zest were introduced to the Olay team in early August by a senior manager to try and achieve a better outcome.

The client’s concept was simple in theory but more complex to realise in practice. First and foremost, the bauble had to display the Total Effects product securely. This meant moulding a means of securing the box into the base of one half of the bauble, and a twist-lock mechanism into each part. The former was made more difficult because it was also necessary to have a flat base so the bauble could sit securely on shelf. Aesthetic considerations, such as the concentration of glitter in the plastic and how to unobtrusively include safety information also needed to be addressed.