Ever seen a child ingest some bitter/sour herbal concoction? The way the face contours and contracts, the lips folds and retracts involuntarily like a snail withdrawing into its shell. Yep. It’s no different with an adult. Adults too contort their facial expressions when or after ingesting bitter/sour herbal concoctions, but adults unlike children are slightly more composed about it. Far from the facial contortions though, the benefit is what it does in the body, and not how it tastes in the mouth.
Over the years herbal mixtures and concoctions have sunk to the lowest ebb of our daily interactions, due to poor hygiene, poor preparations, poor storage, unregistered and unverified chemicals and components, but most of all, unsafe and unattractive packaging. These made it difficult to scale up, and attract new and younger demography. Until now, Herbal Mixtures were perceived as drinks reserved exclusively for the elderly, a quick fix for who are not financially buoyant or ‘exposed’ enough to get better alternatives. These also made it difficult to attract emerging markets.
The goal of this project was to design a packaging that will ultimately change the perception and alter the stereotypical bias of the younger demography towards these natural wonders. A stylish, modern, attractive packaging that will be easily accessible to all, from the elite parties in Ikoyi Lagos, to the young adult in football viewing centre in Iwo Road Ibadan. We wanted a drink variant that would be accepted by all, loved by all, and most importantly consumed by all.
The packaging design for Ewuro, Agbo Jedi, and Aporo (Epa Ijebu) was thoroughly planned and creatively executed with these realities and possibilities in mind. Each product designed to meet expectation and influence behavioural change towards Herbal Mixtures especially in the South Western part of Nigeria.
Adun lo n gbeyin Ewuro, is a Yoruba proverb that loosely translates: The aftertaste of bitterleaf is sweet.
