Three designs that mix new ideas into beautiful blue bottles from a new perspective to be made into products, two designs receive special prize
In Volume 2 of the “10,000 Creators Meet PASS THE BATON” project, we asked designers to submit ideas that use blue cosmetics bottles from Neal’s Yard Remedies, a company that makes and sells organic beauty products. We received 71 entries that incorporated the brand’s organic philosophy. The judges selected three ideas to make into products, and Neal’s Yard Remedies presented two runner-up designs with a special prize.
The winning designs are shown below with comments from the judges and Kenji Kajiwara, president of the Japanese subsidiary of Neal’s Yard Remedies.
Winning designs
Wolf.project ”Re-SIZED NEAL’S YARD BOTTLE -for food-“
Concept
After a lot of thinking, I came up with the idea to use the bottle for the same basic purpose but to change the size to make them more useful, which fits with the Neal’s Yard philosophy of taking good things and adding the value of “functionality” to them. I think that “organic” means using and incorporating good things that are just the way nature made them. I imagined that you would mainly fill this bottle with food items like spices, oil, or water because I want people to fill themselves with food that is natural and good for them, and also because this use would convey the Neal’s Yard brand philosophy.
Judges’ Comments
This idea really got it. It creates something totally unimaginable until now while still preserving the essence of Neal’s Yard Remedies. It’s also useful as a product–if it were real, I’d want it and would love to get it as a present. (Mr. Toyama, Smiles)
This was a new idea, different from the other entries. (Ms. Watanabe, Gigi)
I think this thing could sell. Even I want it. I think this thing could sell. Even I want it. (Mr. Uehara, Gigi)
This design uses the original bottle design, but reminded me that you can give something new value by just changing the perspective. (Ms. Hayashi, Loftwork)
STUDIO BYCOLOR “CANDLE_GLASS”
Concept
Since ancient times, the gentle warm color and flickering of flames has provided people with physical and spiritual comfort beyond just warming the body. Even though flames should be long familiar, when you look at the flickering of the candle through the blue bottle you see a white and rigidly straight beam of light. This blue bottle that was once used to hold medicine was transformed into a bottle for body care products, and now it is a candle holder that brings out the transparency and mystique of the blue glass.
Judges’ Comments
This has the best presentation of all the entries. It reminded me of how beautiful wood and glass are when paired together. (Mr. Toyama, Smiles)
You could even make a series of several pieces that paired wood and glass. It would be interesting to see things like pots and canisters made like this. (Ms. Hayashi, Loftwork)
The overall shape would probably be better if the shape of the stand were changed slightly. (Ms. Watanabe, Kigi)
julien wulff ”Bottle recycled toy / art toy”
Concept
The design of the bottle stays natural and pure. The plug changes the basic function of the bottle as a toy or a figurine. Five different designs are applied on the bottles depending on the character. The object becomes funny as a toy for kid or an art toy for collectors.
Judges’ Comments
I kind of wonder what you would use this product for, but if it were really cute, I think that this maybe this design could be successful even if it didn’t have any real function. I want to see the actual product. (Mr. Toyama, Smiles)
This reminded me of when I was little and my sister and I used to pretend that the makeup bottles that our mother kept by her vanity mirror were dolls. If this were made into a product for real, I think that it could be really cute. (Ms. Watanabe, Kigi)
Neal’s Yard Remedies Prize
Mr. Kajiwara of Neal’s Yard Remedies, the company that proposed this round’s theme, will give a special prize to two creations with unique ideas.
The winners will receive a set of popular blue bottle products selected by Neal’s Yard.
lovespread* ”world blue blue”
Concept
Why is the sky blue? Why does the sea look blue? If the whole world were blue, would we be able to understand God’s will? Would we dream like whales?
Comments from Mr. Kajiwara of Neal’s Yard Remedies
This out-of-the-box idea was interesting and very popular with people at the company. It’s also unique that the designer used the British star John Lennon as the model.
F ”midnight drop”
Concept
These bottles were originally used for cosmetics and aromatic oils, so they somehow kept making me think about a woman.
The shapes of bottles and broken glass resemble tears, and the beauty of the shining blue reminded me of the night. That’s why I made up the story of “a lovesick girl lost in thought crying in the night under a crescent moon” and thought of broken glass earrings to be her beautiful crystal teardrops.
The shape tries to preserve the broken look as much as possible, but the corners are sanded down and rounded out with a resin treatment to make the earrings safe to wear.
I made these with the hope that wearing the heartfelt tears of a woman in love would further accentuate the beauty of the glass.
Comments from Mr. Kajiwara of Neal’s Yard Remedies
It’s interesting that the bottle transformed into something totally different than before, and the story on the mount card was also nice. I think that these would appeal to anyone, so it would be even better to market them as hat pins or other accessories to men too.
General comments from the judges and judging committee report
We put together a photo report that covers the judging process. You can also find general comments from each of the judges about Project Vol.2 here.
