Package Design - December 2013 - 15

too, is the leafy flora around the tube
circumference as well as the pale,
aquatic blue background color symbolic
of the sky and ocean. "The islands are
where these two meet," says Thompson.
Even the custom script font has an
island feel.
Martin originally wanted the type in
blue but chose to go with the design
firm's suggestion of a deep cocoa color
instead to match with the symbol. The
choice of brown also ties to the lotions'
wood-grain caps, that are patterned after
koa wood, which is native to Maui. Substrate texture contributes tactilely to the
effect. Tubes, manufactured by Montebello Packaging, feature a soft-touch,
matte finish. "They feel velvety, almost
creamy," says McLean. Using high-gloss
inks to print the brand mark and other
communication elements provide contrast to the eye and to the touch.
An added design challenge was visually dividing the product subsets,
McLean explains. "It's a fine line: The
organic skincare products are not all the
same-sun block and after-sun lotions
are in tubes, facial creams, eye serums
in pump bottles and children's aerosol
sprays. But they need to hang together,
to work together, to be cohesive as a
brand." Thompson adds that even
choosing just the "right kind of turtle"
for the kid's sunscreen bottle was a critical decision.

Communicating healthier benefits
There were also regulatory concerns.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture regulations for sunscreen labeling changed
in early 2013, Thompson explains. So

the agency had to work diligently to
authenticate all the new Native Maui
packaging with USDA's rules.
Another labeling challenge was that
Martin wanted customers and prospects
to know that a portion of all Native Maui
sales is donated to the nonprofit Surfrider Foundation, a grassroots organization dedicated to the protection and
enjoyment of the world's oceans.
Researchers at the Polytechnic University of Marche in Italy have estimated that 4,000 to 6,000 metric tons
of sunscreen washes off swimmers,
snorkelers and surfers annually in
oceans worldwide-and that up to 10%
of coral reefs are threatened by chemical sunscreen-induced bleaching. Sea-

An inverted dropletshaped shield simulates
hand-carved island art in
an earthy, brown tone.

water in popular tourist areas can
contain as many as 15 times more
viruses than water uncontaminated by
sunscreen. "Native Maui products are
100% reef safe and biodegradable,"
Martin explains.
With the heavy lifting for the package design and branding done by an outside agency, Martin can concentrate on
product formulations. Today, she concentrates her efforts on putting together
exotic, all-natural ingredients, including
rich oils, botanicals and butters that
nourish and hydrate the skin while helping to reduce the appearance of fine
lines and wrinkles; they also protect
from harmful ultraviolet rays and promote the production of collagen and
elastin. "I'm the organic chemist," she
says, blending coconut oil and African
Shea butter, aloe vera juice and healing
Jojoba plant oil, "which doesn't go rancid. The Aztecs called it miracle oil,"
Martin shared. To perfect the different
formulas, Coleman and she sought the
laboratory assistance of a professional
chemist who has worked for Burt's Bees
and Hawaiian Tropic.
Using an outside design firm was an
expensive investment for Native Maui
"but worth every penny," according to
Martin. With its new look, Native Maui
now aspires to expand to the mainland
United States. "We are in some of the
top resorts right now," Martin reports,
"and hope to be in Whole Foods soon."
PD

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Package Design - December 2013

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