Harmonizing High-End Style with Earth-Friendly Solutions
How Knockout gave Merge Curated Goods a super-matte, beach-inspired carton design for their expansion into self-care and home goods.
- Client
- Merge Curated Goods
- Industry
- Self-care and home goods
- Packaging Type
- Custom retail cartons (secondary packaging)
- Key Requirements
- A high-end, eco-conscious look reflecting a coastal brand identity
- Manufacturing Region
- North America
- Outcome
- Visually cohesive, premium packaging across a self-care and home goods expansion
Merge Curated Goods
Named for its ethos of uniting creative goods, Merge is a brand that champions uniqueness, design, sustainability, and mindfulness. The brand runs a shop featuring quality, locally-made products alongside timeless collections of apparel, self-care, and home goods.
Based in the beach town of Tofino, Merge encourages a lifestyle of celebrating simple moments through intentional, purpose-driven products.
Learn more about Merge Curated Goods →
Reflecting a Coastal Brand's High-End Style
As Merge expanded into self-care and home goods, they needed packaging that represented their high-end products and distinct Tofino style, while showing their connection to nature through sustainable materials. Knockout worked closely with Merge's own graphic designer to ensure the artwork translated well onto the finished cartons.
- Packaging that reflects a distinct, coastal brand identity
- A high-end feel to match premium self-care and home products
- Sustainable materials that echo the brand's connection to nature
- Close collaboration with Merge's in-house graphic designer
A Super-Matte Finish, Achieved Without a Laminate
To achieve a luxe feel, Knockout specified a more rigid paperboard and printed on its uncoated side, delivering additional texture and a true super-matte look without an added laminate. Muted sea tones and ocean imagery on the cartons were tailored to suit Merge's beachy brand identity.
- A more rigid paperboard for a premium hand-feel
- Printing on the uncoated side for a natural, super-matte finish
- Muted sea tones and ocean imagery matched to brand identity
- Structural choices suited to a multi-category product line
A Cohesive, Premium Look Across the Collection
Knockout delivered environmentally friendly, visually appealing packaging that resonated with Merge's sustainability ethos. The designs harmonized seamlessly with Merge's high-end self-care and home goods, giving the whole collection a cohesive, premium shelf presence.
- A cohesive, premium look across self-care and home goods
- Packaging aligned with the brand's sustainability values
- A super-matte finish that reinforces a high-end feel
- Design flexibility to support a growing product range
Common questions about this project
Why use the uncoated side of paperboard for a matte look? +
Most paperboard has one smoother, coated side and one uncoated, rougher side. Printing on the uncoated side gives a natural, super-matte texture without needing a separate matte laminate.
How does packaging design reflect a brand's regional identity? +
Color palettes, imagery, and finishes can be chosen to echo a specific place, like Merge's muted sea tones and ocean imagery reflecting their home in Tofino, British Columbia.
Why work directly with a brand's own graphic designer? +
Coordinating closely with a brand's existing designer ensures the artwork translates cleanly onto the physical carton, avoiding surprises between the digital design and the finished product.
What packaging works for a curated multi-category retailer? +
Brands selling across categories like self-care and home goods often benefit from a consistent structural and material approach that unifies the collection, even as individual product graphics vary.
How does rigid paperboard improve a luxury unboxing experience? +
A more rigid paperboard stock resists crushing and holds its shape better than standard cartons, giving products a sturdier, more premium feel when a customer opens the box.
