Elmwood

In short

Elmwood calls itself a strategic brand consultancy, and its four studios in London, New York, Singapore and Shanghai give it unusual reach into Asian markets for a UK-rooted firm. Packaging is the backbone of the work, usually sold together with brand strategy, architecture and identity, and the agency has added research and design-effectiveness measurement to that mix. It sits at #7 on our packaging design ranking.

The client roster leans on household goods and food: Coca-Cola, Heineken, Knorr, Neutrogena, Whiskas, Ribena, Horlicks, Milo, Lifebuoy and Alpro, plus China's Yili. For Coca-Cola it built a Lunar New Year and Tết packaging platform for Vietnam, Singapore and Malaysia around fireworks drawn in the style of Asian embroidery. It reinvented Ecuador's 27-year-old Biela beer, and for UK retailer Very it named and branded the own-label fashion range, The Very Collection.

Multinational consumer goods companies that run brand portfolios across many countries, and need packaging to stay consistent yet feel local in each, are where Elmwood makes most sense, especially with Asia in the plan. Retailers reviving an own-brand range are another good match. Anyone hiring for digital product design, app interfaces or a SaaS website should look to a product-focused studio.