For four months, the Graphica team consulted with Klum through an intermediary as they created the identity and packaging for the Truly Scrumptious line. The results of their efforts can now be seen in Babies “R” Us stores.
“For us to get that opportunity in Dayton, Ohio, is a big deal,” said Greg Simmons, creative director and partner for Graphica, which competed against bigger firms from New York and other areas for the Toys “R” Us business.
Silverstein, director of design innovation at Graphica, noted that Graphica has worked with several large businesses, including Midmark, Momentive Specialty Chemicals, Honeywell Aerospace, CareSource, Target, Walgreens, Purina and P&G.
Silverstein said the design firm keeps updated on trend and consumer insight information and can interpret that information for target audiences.
“Understanding what consumers are reacting to at any given time is key to understanding how to get their attention and what their ‘hot buttons’ are,” she said.
Graphica began working with Toys “R” Us on the Babies “R” Us global redesign early in 2011. Within just a few months, the design firm created the Babies “R” Us identity, developed packaging and created the design guideline.
A key element of that design is photographs of babies inside a bubble. Silverstein described the white, effervescent bubbles as fresh and light and designed to appeal to the contemporary parent.
The Babies “R” Us work led to the Kids “R” Us redesign of brand identity, packaging and guidelines.
Then, in November, 2011, Graphica began work with supermodel and “Project Runway” host and judge Klum on her Truly Scrumptious line.
“It was boom, boom, boom, one right after the other,” Silverstein said about the projects for Toys “R” Us.
The design team included Simmons; Silverstein; Cindy Schnell, vice president and partner; Drew Cronenwett, creative director and partner; and Brent Presley, senior graphic designer.
For Silverstein, the project required knowledge of both Klum’s vision and an understanding of what the contemporary parent wants.
The first step in the process was developing a name for the line of goods. While the team passed ideas back and forth with Klum through a Toys “R” Us intermediary, Silverstein said it was Klum that came up with the Truly Scrumptious name. Truly Scrumptious is the name of a character and song from the 1968 movie “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.”
Silverstein noted that the process helped the team understand what Klum envisioned in the line. Sketches for design ideas went back and forth between the Graphica team, an intermediary, and Klum. The design firm received faxes of Klum’s original sketches to convey the essence of the identity that she had in mind.
“From the rough designs she put together, we had to do interpretations,” Simmons said.
“Through colorful, bright and spontaneous design elements, we translated the essence of Klum’s vision and personality into the spirit of the brand,” Silverstein said. “A simple, ‘painted’ asterisk was created as the heart of the identity, with painted swashes, Klum photography and unique fonts formulating the design architecture applied to all packaging and product embellishments.”
While the design work was completed in February, it didn’t hit the store shelves until mid-September.
“We didn’t get to see it until it was in the stores on Sept. 15,” Silverstein said.
The project has received national attention through television commercials and an episode of “Project Runway.”
“In terms of profile, this was very high profile” Silverstein said.
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