What’s outside counts too…
The packaging is part of the story.
Meet the fourth generation of packaging for ODUOAK.
The ODUOAK brand has seen multiple generations of packaging. Generation one was a square screw top square bottle and hand cut strips of colored paper differentiating scents. All labels were printing in house and outer boxes were individually folded, the bottle inside cushioned by paper. I lovingly think of that first generation as the “hobby” phase. I was still working full time in whiskey and ordering materials by the dozen. I don’t change packaging to cut corners or save pennies. I allow change to happen in response to experience and learnings.
The second generation featured a wooden cap on a crimped top spray bottle, a wooden capped roller, and a faux wood capped mini roller. I signed every single note of gratitude inside, and included an insert with the details of the fragrance. Labels were now being produced by a small family operation in Colorado. Boxes ordered in bulk with custom printing. Each scent had a color association, which proved to be misleading when it comes to unisex scents. The wooden caps began showing fault, the shapes of the bottles were hard to fit safely in boxes, and the outer package was taking up so much space and causing shipping increases. The labels were minimalistic but when it came time for folks to reorder, countless emails flooded in with photos of empty bottles begging “what is this scent??”Which brings us to the third generation. With the release of the Colorado collection, the packaging updated to a custom square spray bottle, with a crimped top, a medium roller bottle, and a mini roller bottle. No more wood, only black caps. Smaller, more concise packaging that wasn’t printed. A hand stamped bag which served as cushioning as well as the gratitude note. The string was allowed to hang out of the box because the long distance relationship which inspired the collection always seemed to sync my cycle with time we could see each other. Labels were still being produced by the company in Colorado. All was smooth sailing.
We’ve come a long way since the first generation.
Hidden nuances of the stories behind each collection are tucked into every update.
But I had to ask myself why I sold roller bottles when I personally prefer spray anyway. It was the fear of having to crimp every single bottle that held me back. The upcoming collection was brewing and required amber glass to preserve the flower essences, so decisions needed to be made.
I decided to take the leap and switch to all spray formats. The outer boxes needed to be updated, as a key moment in the relationship which inspired collection No. 39 involved tin cases. I remember struggling to open a tin of pre-rolls, and Larkin just took the box, and with one click opened it so effortlessly from the side. I had to use a tin. And even more so, I had to use a tin that was a cigarette box to honor his celadon American spirits, filter and ripped off half way of course. Demand was growing and hand stamping bags became too cumbersome, so I decided to get a branded mesh bag made which could be repurposed. The theme of the collection became “draw hearts everywhere” in honor of our tendency to send each other pictures of random objects shaped like hearts. It was a cryptic love note, and it brought such warmth every time we found and exchanged one. I opted for a printed insert, emphasizing the human investment in the product, and encouraging the wearer to feel the fullness of being an emotional human. And to graffiti love everywhere. Each box is packed with a red pencil, the words on it read “draw hearts everywhere”. As I make the products, one at a time, I draw a heart on the gratitude card, and pack the exact pencil used with it. That way, the pencil has only been used once, and for good intentions, infusing it with that love for its applications there forward.
The tins are embossed with “por y’all”, and not ODUOAK. Reason for this is to hopefully encourage folks to reuse them and give precious treasures to others in them.
“Branding with ODUOAK would have been the by the book marketing decision, but the most important part of this brand isn’t the name, it’s the intention. ”
As the products make their way into circulation, faults will reveal themselves I’m sure. They always do. But then we consider those changes for the future, and we evolve. The new packaging is evidence of the growth of the brand, and plays a key role in the story telling of its inspiration. As much as I love it in the present, I am still holding excitement for how it will continue to shift.
Alan watts once said “there is nothing as dead as a diamond”, meaning that stability and permanence is the equivalent to death. Life is change and growth, and holding loosely is the key to allowing it to unfold.