Neue clarify, systemise and define Aclima’s offering in their uncompromising packaging identity

Founded in Krøderen, Aclima is a Norwegian manufacturer of cutting-edge outdoor-focused wool clothing, having operated since the early 20th Century and supplying the country’s military and polar expeditions. Due to the uncompromised quality of their offering, Aclima turned to Oslo-based design studio Neue in search of a new packaging system to mirror the care, quality and innovative nature of their products – as well as to address the importance of sustainability.

Led by the guiding lights of function and purpose, Neue began by clarifying the explanation behind the woollen products – with specific garments made for specific needs – as well as by reducing the number of product variations across the line. In doing so, they not only reduced the number of individual styles and excess packaging that need to be produced but also developed a flexible Swiss-like system. Embodying the quality and functionality of the brand through the masterful execution of rigid typographic hierarchy, graphic accessibility and logic.

This idea is emboldened by the use of TIGHTYPE’s Moderat as the typeface of choice. “As we progressed along with the packaging redesign and came up with the ‘Layer upon Layer’ and ‘Aclima Wool Layering System’,” designer Umer Ahmed tells us, “we saw an opportunity to apply this idea to the logo as well,” despite not being given the task initially. “We made minor tweaks on the symbol and changed the wordmark completely to better fit the new profile font Moderat,” Ahmed recalls, “as well as the legibility issues of the previous wordmark.”

Discussing the choice of Moderat, Ahmed explains how the variety and uncompromising architecture of the typeface mirror the garments themselves. “Moderat’s Regular and Condensed families fulfil Aclima’s need to communicate essential information throughout the packaging system,” he tells us, “from boxes, labels, hangtags, accessories and whatever is needed in the future.”

Bringing together the packaging system is the functional introduction of colour, producing a palette that not practically aids the system in place but also contributes to telling Aclima’s story and context. “We were inspired by the colours visible in nature and their function in nature when it comes to outdoor activities,” Ahmed explains, “Orange, green, blue and grey are colours we see in the sky, mountains, forests and oceans,” he concludes, “and we use these same colours as a function to be visible in the outdoors,” such as running, hiking, or exploring.

Neue

Aclima