Primeros process
The Primeros project stretches over all kinds of areas of graphic design, illustration, photography, packaging design, marketing, research, serial production processes and supervision … In its core it is a conceptual project based on the governing thought of the all-accepting Sex Positive motto as expressed by 9 sexual individualities that drive the naming, styling and product choices for each condom. On the way to the final product sold in stores we worked very hands on producing sketches, models and prototypes in 1:1. Here is some of that process.
primeroscondom.com →
Primeros Blackhawk →
Primeros Innocent →
Primeros →
New wordmark
The new wordmark was designed by our friend and top-notch typographer Tomáš Brousil of Suitcase Type Foundry. His brief was to pickup the vintage logotypes and wordmarks from the original days of the brand and give them a contemporary treatment and vector quality that is going to create a long-lasting or even a timeless expression for Primeros. Next to the complete name the capital P is also vastly used. The lettering is accompanied by the medical cross that was with Primeros from the early days and signified the then unique medical quality of the product. It is a promise the brand intends to keep for the future as well.
Symbol search
The center of the condom pack below the brand is the hottest part of the condom. We have spent a lot of time studying the market and going back to the 1900s to really understand the previously explored ground. Most of what you find places either some kind of “hot&wet” abstraction into the middle of the pack or it is downright depicting of something sexual, possibly heterosexual very often. We felt there needs to be a bold departure from these ridiculous directions.
We wanted something strong but non-sexual as the product does not need to speak like that. The concept of the 9 sex characters was a great inspiration and we ended up designing 9 letter based symbols where each one represents the name and characteristic properties of the condom. At the same time all these symbols carry a decent amount of abstraction and openness without subscribing to anything erotic or generally explicit. The resulting design does not even feel like a condom. A King size 3-pack looks like a pack of luxurious cigarettes and we love that.
The manual
As with medical products there is a need here to supply a folded information flyer with every pack. As graphic designers we always hated these as an example of very poor visual communication. For the Primeros flyer we hired really talented writers whose task was to turn the heavily controlled standard requirements into a fun read. We also accompanied the text with illustrations and icons hopefully making something that is functional but also enjoyable.
One of the many process versions of the key instruction flow.
Serial production
At the end of the playful phases, the marketing planning and the focus groups we sat down to create the final production data and then supervise production for the client. To be able to produce 18 condom packs we put together more than 400 pages of absolutely precise and aligned print-ready data. It is an exceptionally responsible process when operating at such large volumes and it was a big relief that all went extremely smoothly. There are many rewards coming from designing condoms and one is being in a room with 2.5 million units – that does not happen every day.
All color layers are in place, the next step is the deep gloss effect.
With 9 technological layers aligned across a B1 format sheet it is all a game of precision and constant alignment checks.
This is 50.000 packs in flat.
The larger red surfaces printed in between the packs correspond to the medical cross sign. It is easier to measure and correct the Pantone™ color from a larger surface.
Before & after.
The packs are completed first in flat and they are fully built and sealed while at the filling line. Our design of the paper packaging had to be optimised to work with automated high speed filling stations like that.
The emboss of the key features like the symbol and the brand is still a very unique sophistication that not many condom packs would feature. It all feels more like an expensive business card in hand than an industrially produced hygienic product packaging.
Our design required precision of alignment between the color print, the gloss and the cutting dye. It was a challenge to produce the packs but it gives the product a presence like no other condom brand has.
Project info
Graphics
Client
Primeros s.r.o.
Project creative direction, graphic design, vector work, campaign creative direction
Jakub Korous
Project creative direction, graphic design, sketching, vector work, packaging design, packaging prototyping, studio photography creative direction
Matej Chabera
Typography / logo redesign
Tomáš Brousil
Collaboration
Marek Dvořák, Primeros team
Consulting
Petr Haškovec
Visuals
Chabera studio, Filip Beránek, Nikolas Tušl
Awards
Red Dot Design Award 2017, Packaging of the Year 2018, Czech Grand Design – Designer of the Year 2017
Year
2017