Can I Get A Rebrand?

You may have noticed in recent weeks little teasers on social media about the new Bohemia & Flower box packaging. Whilst the soft launch is happening it seems a perfect time to address some questions I've been asked in the past few weeks...

Why are you changing things?

Well that's simple really, Bohemia & Flower has evolved a lot as a small business from where I started during lockdown in 2020 & what worked back then isn't working so well for the business now. How people buy my soap bars has changed, I started with a few local doorstep drops, then sold at in person makers markets & have expanded to nationwide wholesale to retailers & a nationwide soap subscription through my website. I continue to sell through all these channels, but the glassine paper packing was NEVER designed to be packed in boxes, thrown in a van & shipped across the country & it was also not designed to withstand the rigours of being merchandised & handled in bricks & mortar stores where customers pick stuff up & browse. I've had entire wholesale orders returned to me in an unsellable state, wholesale bars that I've had to re-package & bars come back from market events that look really dog-eared. My business is based on a solid ethos of sustainability & functionality, the fact my packaging was increasingly neither of these things - quite the contrary, it was itself creating unnecessary waste - really bothered me & so I created a solution.

What is changing?

The format of the logo is changing, it's actually the same typeface just oriented differently, the original round logo is still in use appearing on soap bars as before. The original glassine bag packaging is changing to printed boxes. There's a new font too, which has already started appearing on flyers & social media graphics. The website is having a bit of a gentle freshen up with some new product photos. And on social media there's gonna be a few new things yet to be revealed. In addition you'll start to see a new brand slogan in the mix 'Elevate Your Everyday Self-Care', I'm hoping to get some tote bags printed in time. 

What is staying the same?

Pretty much everything else is staying the same, I'm still a team of one (founder, owner, maker & head of ALL depts) so it's still my vision for B&F soap spoken in my voice. The name & colour palette is the same. And the most important thing, the soap bars are EXACTLY the same, the size of the soaps, the cold process method, the ingredients, the formulations, the pure essential oils all remain the same.

But I liked the old packaging!

I liked the old style packaging too, when I launched Bohemia & Flower in 2020 it was with the tiniest budget, glassine bags & printed labels seemed an affordable packaging solution for me to start my natural soap business. It ticked all the boxes & served me fairly well, but now it's time to move on & be excited about the growth of my business. I'm entering a new a era with Bohemia & Flower Soap and I truly hope you'll join me on the journey!

But the bags seemed more sustainable?

In my opinion the new printed boxes are the best option in terms of sustainability. They can be recycled or home composted. They are manufactured in England by a small printing company, they protect the soap bars from damage and damp more effectively & because they are more robust I won't need to repackage so there's less waste. It's also just one box rather than a bag plus a label (from two different companies) so in terms of energy involved in the overall manufacturing process & road haulage the boxes are far better.

Who designed them?

Bohemia & Flower is a botanical brand, everything starts with plants & nature, so I knew I needed to find a designer who was a fellow flower child, ideally a graphic designer with their hands in the soil, preferably with an allotment & a proper understanding of my brands earth rooted ethos. Did this person even exist? Yes she DOES!! Aimee Hawkins is a graphic designer who is all these things, from her Insta flower photos (shooting on film!), to her modern illustrative style, to her clever use of colour & all those well chosen fonts! I LOVE her work. Aimee was such a pleasure to work with on this project. There'll be more to follow about the new designs, plus a blog post Q&A with Aimee Hawkins to find out about her creative process...

Got a question? You can always email me at katy@bohemiaandflower.co.uk