Capturing Scents in Packaging

Creating a compelling fragrance package is similar to telling a story.

WRITTEN BY: Molly Acorn

AUTHOR BIO: Molly Acorn is the director of creative marketing for Mane USA, responsible for creative execution and marketing strategies for the consumer goods division in the personal care and home fragrance categories. She has 10 years of experience in packaging design and fragrance in the mass and specialty retail channels.

When I first entered the world of packaging design, I was advised to tell a story. Sometimes based on a lifestyle, destination, mood, or something more abstract like a bygone era, the intention was to capture the consumer and make a connection. Combining scent into the mix remains a powerful element on its own. Sometimes a scent is more powerful than a picture or memory, transcending the box it is encased in or the packaging that adorns it. It is the trigger for a burst of sensation, emotion, desire, and familiarity and leads us on a journey into our imaginations. When we tell stories through our fragrance concepts at Mane, it is always a sensory invitation. To tell an effective story, I focus on bridging the gap, beyond what is memorable into the unforgettable.

To create compelling packaging follows a similar story to creating a compelling fragrance, building anticipation through its composition in every layer. I draw inspiration from my personal travels, life and the environment. A trip to Istanbul’s spice markets produced ideas for a colorful and exotic spa collection, while geometric Turkish symbols showed up in decorative motifs on the labeling. While in Barcelona, I developed a deeper appreciation for natural elements, exploring the juxtaposition of the sea and sky in the extraordinary architecture of Antoni Gaudí. Venturing to the local farmer’s market or botanical garden is an opportunity for new ideas to flourish and blossom, prompting an unexpected color combination or texture. These experiences impart a design and personal influence that then develop into concrete ideas and are brought to fruition in a product form, surface illustration, label or die-line.

Perfumers have a similar process for creating fragrances and, as a team, we are able to fuse our passions and tell our own story as we share our individual expertise and experience. Following our inspiration leads to a development path that is both natural and exciting, which lets us progress to a product that is beautiful, innovative and of the highest quality. This collaboration creates one voice that becomes the narrative of the final product. Ultimately, it captures what moves our customer and their brand.