Penhaligon’s 2012 Christmas Gift Collection

Designed by jkr (Jones Knowles Ritchie), United Kingdom.

Introducing a theatrical Christmas for Penhaligon’s

To welcome in the festive season, Penhaligon’s have launched their 2012 Christmas Gift Collection, designed by jkr. Celebrating the brand’s rich heritage in Victorian London, the boxes are inspired by the classic pastime of theatre going. 

‘As always, we gave jkr a very open brief, simply the idea of ‘Musical London’ and they came up with the wonderful idea of a British night at the theatre. This eccentric yet elegant theme allows us to tell our brand story internationally.’ Sarah Rotheram, CEO, Penhaligon’s.

‘The theme was explored in many different ways, but we were all really excited by the idea of musical theatre. Going to the theatre is such an English tradition at Christmas. This allowed us to communicate a festive feeling whilst delivering decadence and opulence of a bygone era’ said Jovan Buac, Account Director, jkr.

Each box in the collection tells the story of a Victorian production, revealing everything from the performance on stage through to the people in the audience. Every character plays a role in bringing the story to life, from the musicians in the orchestra pit to the family of Penguins seated in the rafters. Every time you look you discover something more.

‘We wanted every box to reveal the magic of the theatre, uncovering all the aspects of the experience and the interesting and unusual characters you might see on the night. This year’s collection was all about delivering rich details, with the ornate finishes and embellishments providing a really premium feel,’ says Matt Gilpin, Design Director, jkr.

As with previous years, a key aspect of the design process was considering how the boxes would be presented in store. This led to the creation of a stackable structure to facilitate the story-telling nature of the boxes; the orchestra pit, dress circle and the gods creating an eye-catching display to engage with busy Christmas shoppers.

The collection is printed on a matt soft touch paper, which provides a fantastic background for the bright gold and zesty colours. ‘As always with Penhaligon’s, we try to stay faithful to the tradition of the brand but give a hint to the modern. This collection combines hand-illustrations with bolder colourways to achieve this feeling,’ Matt Gilpin, Design Director, jkr.

‘The theatre felt like a very fitting theme for Penhaligon’s: unconventional and opulent, whilst also avoiding the clichés of the season. We’ve had a wonderful reaction from our retail partners globally and from our customers in store.’ Emily Maben, Head of Global Marketing, Penhaligon’s.