A year ago, Aki Kuivaniemi, an entrepreneur in the golf product business, got an idea to use characters from the Moominvalley stories in a golf balls gift set. The Moomin characters, created by a Finnish author Tove Jansson are iconic not only in their native Finland but loved around the world as well. Especially in Japan, where Moomin theme park was opened last year, and the characters adorn design pieces from t-shirts to mugs.
"The target group is not only golfers but anyone wishing to make a golfer happy with a unique gift," Kuivaniemi explains. He wanted the packaging to be both appealing and luxurious, and also as sustainable as possible.
Aki Kuivaniemi's family-owned golf product business prints up to 10 000 golf balls a day. The sustainability of the products is essential to Kuivaniemi. The golf tees he produces are biodegradable and made from wheat and corn starch. He also has a range of ecological golf balls.
"It is important for me personally that we take the environment into consideration in everything we do from the product to its packaging," Kuivaniemi explains.
Sustainability with luxury elements
Ville Ekosaari of Cadpack, a young packaging professional, set to execute the package of the final product together with the design team at Metsä Board. When designing a sustainable package, Ekosaari emphasises minimising the empty space inside the package. Reducing the package size reduces the need for material, and eliminating transporting air also cuts emissions from logistics. But Ekosaari also wanted to maximise the luxury elements of the packaging.
"Together with Metsä Board's packaging design team, we put a lot of effort into the unboxing experience. For example, the lid must have just the right amount of resistance to make the opening experience as special as possible," Ekosaari says.
The box material is all-white N-flute corrugated board, produced of MetsäBoard Natural WKL Bright. It is lightweight and recyclable.
"The package is composed of the same white kraftliner in all layers. We used gold foil on the lid, which gives an exclusive feel when touching the package. The Moomin characters and the Moomin story was printed on the sleeve in an offset", Ekosaari tells.
Ekosaari compliments the excellent workability of the material as well as the quality of the structured gold hot foiling.
Despite only being in the market for a couple of months, the Moomin golf gift package has already gotten good feedback. Good sales from Asian customers at the airport and on ferries have given Kuivaniemi confidence that the product will have a good market base in Asia.
"With the impressive golden Moomin logo on the lid, I wanted to give Asian customers the wow effect they are looking for," Kuivaniemi says.
