CALYX BRAND IMAGERY
I directed punchy packaging, photography, and videography to push Calyx's brand from a health and wellness direction and into a color-filled future.
SCOPE:
PACKAGING DIRECTION
PHOTOGRAPHY + VIDEO DIRECTION
COLLATERAL DIRECTION
2022
Goals:
Position Calyx as a streamlined solution for cannabis packaging by promoting proprietary product designs, creative services, and label and box printing capabilities
Differentiate from competitors whose presence in the cannabis industry feels pharmaceutical
PACKAGING THAT POPS
If a picture is worth a thousand words, what about a picture of a package? Label design has an enormous impact on the look-and-feel of brand imagery. I began the project by considering the variety of clients Calyx aimed to appeal to and directed artwork in their range of styles.
The cannabis industry has been teeming with tension between behemoth Multi-State Operators (MSOs) and compact craft cultivators. These packaging designs reflect both corporate and craft sensibilities and while connecting with cannabis' rebellious roots.
NUMEDICAL
When weed wears a suit, this is what it looks like.
Minimal palettes and a type-focused composition lend credibility to these labels, while the vivid hues and larger-than-life letterforms bring a balancing sense of joy. I crafted this direction to speak to MSO-scale clients whose consumer brands have mass appeal.
ALIEN FLORA
Step into the intentionally indulgent world of craft cannabis.
Neutral backgrounds support expressive, surreal forms that are anything but ornamental–they speak to detailed information on terpene content and classic craft practices like hand trimming (as opposed to time-saving mechanical methods). I directed these graphics to appeal to craft cannabis brands, stoners, and growers with a history in the legacy space.
IMAGERY + VIDEO
"How to Open Calyx Containers" is one of the brand's most popular Google searches. Clients and end consumers needed some additional education on how to work with Calyx's novel pinch-and-pull opening mechanisms, so we focused our video shoot here.
I featured a diverse set of hand models to represent the end consumer and root the imagery in the real world.
Video Channel
I crafted unique end consumer personas to inspire set decoration for our lifestyle imagery. Visuals reflect each persona's way of life, relationship with the cannabis plant, and interactions with Calyx products.
CONFIDENT CONNOISSEUR
This consumer is confident, mature, and well-traveled. They have an active social life and value bringing people together. They incorporate cannabis consumptions into experiences with their community.
This consumer may pass around a joint while they cook with friends, or provide infused sweets while hosting a cocktail party.
They love brands that choose Calyx packaging because it's sophisticated and functional. They don't want to buy weed that comes in a mylar bag since it's neither visually appealing nor protective of the high quality grass they consume.
REBEL ROCKSTAR
This proud stoner is completely tapped in to cannabis culture. They know the plant science inside and out and are passionate about building a cannabis scene that's fair and just.
This consumer spends much of their disposable income experimenting with different kinds of concentrates. They enjoy all the indulgent experiences each strain and extraction method have to offer.
They love Calyx Concentrate Containers because they're the best at protecting volatile terpenes, not to mention made of sturdy glass. If they buy concentrates packed in other jars, they repack them in Calyx containers as soon as they get home.
SOCIAL STONER
This exuberant person loves cannabis in all its forms. They enjoy daily social consumption, usually opting for pre-rolls, vapes, or a well-packed bowl to share with friends.
This youngster is living away from home for the first time in a highly social environment like college or grad school. Cannabis is part of their exploration of independent life.
Calyx Tubes are a convenient way to organize their stash, and the secondary gasket seal helps them discreetly store half-smoked j's in their backpack.
When competitors keep it clean, Calyx pumps up the color. I aimed to bring whimsy and fun to packaging visuals and disrupt the sterility of popular cannabis imagery.
DIGITAL + MEDIA PLACEMENTS
Punchy purples spread across print and digital ads in leading publication Cannabis Now.
I freshened up Calyx's web presence by incorporating colorful lifestyle shots across its pages.
TEAM
Photography + Videography: Evok Media
Packaging Design: Calvin Laituri
Ad Design: Kyle Ernst
