During the last few months we have all seen a host of changes in both our professional and personal lives — some for good, others less positive. This unique situation has forced many of us to re-appraise our approach to work and indeed our priorities more broadly. Inspired by the opportunities to think and behave differently, Anthem Worldwide’s Amsterdam and Brussels team have been exploring how packaging design can be used to help influence positive change across different categories.

This six part series uses insight and purpose driven concept design to challenge the status quo, elicit behavioural change and improve the user experience — providing new opportunities for brands to create more meaningful and valuable connections with their consumers. Part 1 in the series looks to reimagine packaging for the humble but home staple tea light candle.

Born from a pet peeve with current tea light candle packaging and a desire to celebrate the natural benefits of beeswax, ‘Be’ concept packaging design seeks to remove consumer pain points and provide a packaging format designed for use, not just the supply chain.

Tea lights are typically sold in large plastic bags, impossible to transport without damage and tricky to store. For such a widely used product in the home, there has to be a better solution.

Design objectives included a packaging design that would protect and maintain the integrity of the product, one that would provide easy access to the product in the home, and one that would help elevate this basic but much loved and used staple.

‘Be’ concept design is a range of natural beeswax tea light candles. Using natural beeswax ensures the candles do not produce toxic byproducts and heavy soot when burned. They also help to neutralise pollutants in the air — eliminating dust, odours and mould in the atmosphere.

Further celebrating the wonder that is nature, the hexagonal 3D design of both packaging and individual tea lights takes inspiration from the iconic shape of natural honeycomb; a structure so simple yet so perfectly devised to protect what’s inside, of course also serving as a clear product design cue.

The structural packaging design is made from recycled and recyclable cardboard, the outer tube sliding up to reveal the candle, with the drop down system providing easy access for continued use. The tea light holder itself is made from a mono plastic to also allow ease of recycling. Easy to transport, stack and store, both vertically or horizontally, ‘Be’ concept design is also beautiful enough to display in the home.

Candles of course also have relaxing properties and can aid in the support of stress relief. The concepts brand purpose is to help create positive moods in consumers with a range designed to elicit specific emotions using natural scent infusions. ‘Be’ happy, ‘Be’ calm, ‘Be’ restored — the clever use of the brand name to support the brands purpose and individual variant benefits ladders up to create a strong emotional connection with users and as a potent call to action. This is well balanced with the use of more energetic colours on pack for use in navigation and to provide a contemporary and elegant look and feel.

Taking inspiration from the beauty and personal care categories, ‘Be’ concept design raises up one of the most self-effacing products into something consumers can purchase with pride.