Superb pared-back branding inspired by freight containers

Date
26 November 2014

It’s wonderful when graphic design perfectly unites two seemingly disparate concepts – and Commission Studio’s branding for a Lewes-based homeware brand is a quietly brilliant example. The project saw the London studio (which designed our 2013 Annual) create the look and feel for a range of delicate, subtle pieces like candles and soaps with a name that deliberately sounds anything but delicate and subtle – Freight.

The branding and packaging take their cues from freight containers, using a neutral colour palette and tactile materials like copper foils and card. “There’s a nice friction between the ideas of freight and homeware,” says Christopher Moorby, Commission creative director. “The branding really reflects the aesthetic of the goods – it’s quite classic and timeless. We wanted to reference the idea of shipping containers with the condensed Helvetica typeface.”

Christopher says he looked at the way freight containers catalogue content to create the packaging. “The brand language on the labels purposefully looks quite ‘default’," he says. “The materials we used, with silk weave embossed papers and copper foils, creates tension between the standard feel of the graphics and the physical objects, which have a very premium feel.”

The founders of Freight say that the items in the range are selected on the basis of their “provenance, function, quality, and durability,” and Commission’s beautifully pared-back graphic language more than reflects that.

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Commission Studio: Freight

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Commission Studio: Freight

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Commission Studio: Freight

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Commission Studio: Freight

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Commission Studio: Freight

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Commission Studio: Freight

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Commission Studio: Freight

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About the Author

Emily Gosling

Emily joined It’s Nice That as Online Editor in the summer of 2014 after four years at Design Week. She is particularly interested in graphic design, branding and music. After working It's Nice That as both Online Editor and Deputy Editor, Emily left the company in 2016.

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