2021 Survival Guide: Welcome to the Other Side.

Burn it down. Light a match on 2020. Let the m**f** burn. Every sentiment our team considered when reflecting on the past year evoked the idea of survival. We got through it together, now let’s not look back. Emerging from the harrowing year, our team wanted to share this sentiment with our clients with an edgy, fresh take on marking the new year.

Tapping into an apocalyptic vibe, with a little MadMax/Banksy flair, we embarked on developing a client gift that would evoke all the senses, demonstrate the handcrafted attention to detail NJI is known for, and something that would truly stand out in a sea of gift baskets and wine club subscriptions. Opening the gift should be an experience unto itself.

Wanting to connect with what we yearned for from pre-pandemic times with what lies ahead in 2021, we zeroed in on the idea of a time capsule. Something that by definition is for the future.

Creating the perfect “capsule” that both reflected NJI’s black/white branding and the rough edged feeling of the overall idea gift concept, we developed a nesting series of tubes and packaging elements that fit into each other seamlessly. The custom exterior printed capsules were individually spray-painted with black matte paint by the company’s founders (the full process was recorded).

Inside, each individual item had a custom label, trimmed and cut to fit the round shape of the capsule or align with the shape of the enclosed items. Every illustration drawn by our team, each line of copy crafted to evoke the feeling and sentiment of NJI and the gift theme.

Final capsule in hand, our team embarked on a true mad-max, COVID-safe film production to create a “trailer” to share with clients the days before the gifted capsules arrived on their doorsteps. Welcome to the otherside.