Hawkins & Brimble

Creative Agency: Design Happy
Creative Partners: Will Jones, Richard Bray, Jon Plumb, Adrian Turnham
Project Type: Produced, Commercial Work
Client: Stephen Shortt
Location: London
Packaging Contents: Men’s grooming range
Packaging Substrate / Materials: Kraft Board, Matt Soft touch
Printing Process: Flexography & Foil stamping

Hawkins & Brimble – Vintage Rituals for the Modern Man

Design Happy have created a men’s grooming range from the ground up which harks back to the natural qualities of barber tonics of old, yet tailored to complement the modern man’s busy lifestyle.

It was important to find a positioning that stood out from competitors in an iconic way. Design Happy were aware of the many barber and beard ranges that were flourishingly on trend but felt there was still room in the market for a more modern beard defining brand.

We wanted the brand to be cut from a different cloth and avoid the typical cliches so we opted for a different angle. Our approach was to appeal to a more premium market with a focus on modern effortless grooming, using inspiration from simpler days to formulate the basis for the naming, ingredients and brand.

For the branding itself we developed a bespoke typography style based on beautiful vintage barber signage and branded stamps to give the brand a sense of heritage and efficacy. To offset this we injected a vibrant flash of red cutting the through the pack indicative of traditional barber poles, yet angular and tightly cropped to create a classic and fresh look. In order to breathe heart and soul into the brand we continued to develop a flowing illustrative style. This extended the brands reach into merchandise, perfectly complimented the gifts sets and provided flex for upcoming brand support.

Founder Stephen Shortt says “Design Happy have been fundamental to the success of Hawkins and Brimble, creating an eye-catching and iconic brand from scratch that has helped secure a raft of listings and celebrity endorsements.”

Since the launch of Hawkins & Brimble last November, just 4 months ago, the range has secured more than 15 online retail outlets and will be rolling out to 550 department stores across Europe early this year. After attracting plenty of attention during London Fashion week H&B is looking in sharp form so expect to hear more great things very soon!