In an era where influencer-driven marketing shapes consumer choices, PR packages are more than just boxes, they’re an opportunity to tell a story. My project moves away from traditional approaches, embracing creative and unexpected designs that leave a lasting impression.
Through immersive prototypes, I explore unboxing experiences that engage, surprise, and resonate. Imagining brand collaborations, I focus on storytelling and elevating brand identity, blending aesthetics with functionality. Each design reflects my vision of what PR packaging can be: artistic, practical, and unforgettable.
Packaging Design for PR and Marketing.
Poppi is shaking up the beverage industry by making gut-friendly drinks that actually taste good. The brand started with a simple mission: turn apple cider vinegar, something popular in the health world into a flavorful and easy-to-drink soda. Each can is packed with prebiotics to support gut health but still has the experience of a traditional soda.
What makes Poppi stand out from other prebiotic soda companies is its branding. With bright, playful packaging and trendy flavors, it places itself as a lifestyle brand rather than a health drink. The marketing leans into social media, using influencers and TikTok trends to “make soda cool again.” By positioning itself as the perfect balance between wellness and fun, Poppi has built a loyal fanbase that includes both health-conscious consumers and those just looking for a better alternative to traditional soda.
One of the biggest reasons Poppi skyrocketed in popularity was its genius approach to PR and influencer marketing. Each PR package is full of creativity, often featuring custom elements and playful branding. While these boxes are engaging and visually exciting, I noticed that many of Poppi’s PR concepts focused on promoting limited-time releases. While these packages succeeded in generated significant buzz online, the featured flavors were often impossible for general public to get their hands on. Additionally, some people perceived certain PR campaigns as overly extravagant. While I personally disagree, I saw an opportunity to design a concept that responded more directly to audience feedback and emphasized accessibility.
That got me thinking. What if Poppi scaled back the extravagance and leaned into something more interactive, like letting people mix their own sodas?
The Poppi Potion Lab concept allows recipients to create their own sodas that are still prebiotic and retain all the health benefits of ready-made Poppis. The kit includes flavor syrups, mixers, and branded glassware - everything needed to play mixologist and build your own soda from scratch.
As seen in Poppi’s past campaigns, which often highlight fun, wellness-driven experiences, this concept builds on that spirit by inviting recipients to interact with the product in a playful, hands-on way.
When researching OUAI’s branding design and PR strategies, I noticed a distinct trend in their PR packaging. Each package transforms a standard box shape into familiar objects. OUAI has made boxes in the shape of a suitcase, washing machine, shower, and even juice box.
Inspired by this approach, I designed a PR package in the shape of a bathtub to promote their dog shampoo. This idea was sparked by my own dog, Winston, who has a talent for making bath time far more chaotic than necessary. Knowing that many dog owners face the same struggle, I wanted to create a “spa” kit that makes the dreaded bath time more enjoyable by first, having better-smelling dog shampoo, and second, adding products for humans as well.
The lid of the box is glossed and textured to feel like bathroom tiles, and the interior mimics the look and feel of bubbly water with playful 3D elements like floating spheres and a tiny rubber duck to reinforce the bath-time theme. By leaning into OUAI’s signature packaging creativity while addressing a relatable pet-care challenge, this concept blends branding with functionality in a way that feels fun, thoughtful, and perfectly on-brand.
Packaged in a paint can to convey the idea that denim is a blank canvas, the exclusive box is sent to a list of influencers, models, and celebrities. Inside, recipients find a pair of iconic Acne Studios jeans and a thoughtfully curated set of materials such as fabric paints, threads, patches, and embroidery tools encouraging them to reinterpret a wardrobe classic through their own creative lens.
More than a traditional invite, the box acts as a creative prompt and a physical embodiment of the collaboration’s ethos. Guests are not only invited to attend but also expected to wear their customized creations to the show, transforming them into active contributors to the event’s visual and conceptual storytelling.
Hosting Acne Studios’ next NYFW show at MoMA would be a powerful alignment of fashion and contemporary art, reinforcing the brand’s identity as a creative force that transcends traditional fashion boundaries.
Both Acne and MoMA share a commitment to innovation, minimalism, and cultural commentary, making the museum a fitting stage for a collection that is as conceptual as it is wearable.
Showing at MoMA would not only elevate the presentation into a curated experience but also position Acne within a broader artistic discourse, framing its garments as pieces of modern design rather than just seasonal trends. The collaboration would blur the lines between runway and exhibition, offering a fresh, immersive narrative that speaks to both fashion insiders and the art world.
The GlossGuard campaign is an idea for a collaboration between Tower 28 Beauty and Protect Humans, blending self-expression and self protection in a way that feels empowering and functional. It introduces a limited edition bag-charm that combines T28’s cult-favorite lip gloss with Protect Humans’ innovative safety alarm. This product is designed to keep women feeling safe, confident, and ready to shine wherever they go.
Tower 28 Beauty is an LA based cosmetics brand whose mission centers around redefining beauty standards by prioritizing inclusivity, transparency, and accessibility in the beauty industry.
Tower 28 sets itself apart by ensuring all its products are designed for a wide range of skin tones and skin types. The brand actively works to challenge the beauty industry’s lack of diversity by offering a shade range that reflects real-world demographics. By prioritizing skin health, Tower 28 redefines beauty as not just about aesthetics but also about feeling safe and comfortable in one’s skin.
Protect Humans is a brand committed to redefining safety by merging function with fashion.
Their ethos revolves around making personal safety products not just essential but also fun, stylish, and accessible. By incorporating vibrant colors, playful prints, and sleek designs, Protect Humans ensures that safety tools like alarms and keychains feel like an extension of personal style rather than just a precaution. This approach helps to destigmatize carrying safety devices, encouraging more people to keep them on hand. Additionally, by selling on widely accessible platforms like Amazon, the brand ensures that safety is not a luxury but an easily attainable necessity, empowering women to feel more secure in their everyday lives.
