Client: Crosswords, ShopperStops
What we delivered: Market, Naming, Packaging Design, Communication Design, Social Media Launch
Agency: BareFeet
Role: Design Director & Partner
Crossword aims to be a point of cultural and social interaction where authors and poets hold court, where children are regaled, where people gravitate to be informed, to be entertained, even enlightened. Crossword stocks the widest range of Books – Toys – Stationery – Magazines, Gifting and Hardware & Accessories.
Since its inception on 15th October 1992, Crossword has grown into 100 stores and is widely adored amongst book lovers in India.
Hey Crossword, Surprise Me!
In our research on subscription/black boxes for book buyers, we found that book lovers tend to choose books for themselves rather than as gifts for others. This is because books are deeply personal, and everyone has their own unique preferences. The act of gifting books to others ranked relatively low among their preferences, owing to the deeply personal and subjective nature of selecting reading material. This revelation sparked the conceptualization of "Crossword Surprise Me," an innovative self-gifting solution tailored specifically for book enthusiasts seeking to explore new literary avenues.
We are looking for stories everywhere.
We, the grown-ups, love to find stories in everything we see. Coupled with a unique design sense and illustrations, the concept displays a set of stories right there wrapped around the box for the receiver to unveil.
From packaging to social media posts.
We designed a 9-Grid introduction campaign highlighting offerings from each category.
A big bag of surprises for the little ones.
Playing, reading and learning are all a part of the kid's education. The Crossword Surprise me Kids edition had all this covered with its latest curated bag. Yes, not a box but a bag as the toys and children's books come in odd sizes, the team decided to go with a big designer-looking tote bag as a part of the product offering.
Unfolding kids' expectations eight folds.
We ensured that the design communicates that the bag has a lot more games and surprises to look forward to along with the curated storybooks.
A pre-curated bag for a little-known audience.
There are all sorts of readers and learners. The fiction lovers, The self helps loyalists, the harry potter fans, the enlightenment seekers. We created designs for the pre-curated themes, making it easier to choose a bag for your loved ones.
And one for Steve Jobs.
We carry forward the idea of pre-curated bags from general categories to the niche community to offer personal customisation as per the mood, trend, and occasion.
It did surprise us.
What started as a packaging design project later went on to become a marketing solution and product awareness communication. We would like to give Rinky Goplani, from Team Crossword, a big shout-out here as she offered us a free hand to look at the brief in its entirety and discover the right brand solutions.
