How do you create a visual identity for something you can smell, not see? AWP shares its tricks

As a studio steered by storytelling, you could say that AWP (As We Proceed) were sold from the get-go when Ethan Gaskill, founder of independent fragrance company Elsewhere Fragrances, reached out. The scented candle company, which had its start in 2020 – a time where going anywhere was forbidden – is set on transporting you to places elsewhere. Each of its scents is crafted to evoke not only a specific location but its stories and intimate textures. “What a rich tapestry of imagery and sensory experiences we had to draw upon,” says co-founder and creative director of AWP, Emanuel Cohen. “Translating Elsewhere brand’s narrative of wanderlust and discovery into visual and tangible elements presented us with an amazing opportunity to explore the intersection of scent, memory and visual triggers.”

To craft a holistic visual system for both Elsewhere’s brand and product experience that encapsulated their vision, the studio started out in labs and between library shelves. “We were drawn to Elsewhere Fragrance’s commitment to an intentional laboratory production approach, using only premium ingredients and a hand poured method,” says co-founder and creative director at AWP Mariane Vaillancourt.

This commitment to craftsmanship led AWP to collate a typographic selection for the identity that was greatly inspired by “dusty library shelves and laboratory notecards”. It’s a font family that evokes the founders desire to transport people, but one that also denotes the intentionality of the brand’s scents and methods. By using typography reminiscent of archival material and classic literature with a bookplate logo type, the design language is a homage to the brand’s idea of archiving moments through fragrances. “Like an author’s notes leading to the writing of great chapters, the graphic system encapsulates the methodical and inspired process of creating Elsewhere’s scents,” says Emanuel.

The packaging is where AWP helps the brand’s identity tap into all of the senses, with soft textured card stock, embossed details, photographic cut outs and mirrored materials that reflect the products’ surroundings onto every package. The tactile experience of the packaging was also translated onto the candle vessels, with a rich textured label, printed by hot-stamping to include the scent’s story — “inviting people to elaborate with their own imaginary tale”.

The main challenge for AWP was how to translate all of Elsewhere’s “more intangible feelings into a tangible graphic language”. For a nostalgic look and feel, the studio’s art direction turned to home video-style footage and soft focus, grainy film photography to create a sense of longing and warmth. “We aimed to evoke sentimentality and a yearning for the past through imagery that would reflect vintage aesthetics,” ends Mariane. “The imagery is an invitation to surrender into the immersive, peaceful and dreamlike realm of the brand.”