Whitman Emorson position Jems as the condom brand for all with a bright, bold and playful identity

Self-directed by Toronto-based studio Whitman Emorson, Jems is a condom brand and sex education platform launched as a response to the industry’s outdated and overtly masculine approach to design, as well as their use of unlisted, toxic ingredients. Aiming to make safer sex accessible to all sexual identities and gender expressions, Jems’ condoms are made only of ultra-thin materials and natural ingredients; avoiding the potentially harmful parabens, paraffins and more that are secretly included by traditional brands.

Discussing their approach to the identity and packaging, Whitman Emorson’s Creative Director Berkeley Poole tells us that “experimentation, play and exploration are at the heart of the brand,” resulting in a bright and bold solution that balances editorial refinement with an experimental personality.

The identity is made to feel warm and safe by the rounded forms of the custom, unicase wordmark and sturdy choice of Dinamo’s Favorit as the supporting font, while a host of hilarious illustrations and Dávid Molnár’s Parabole typeface bring quirk and playfulness to the party. “Some designers become a little preoccupied or perhaps too serious about a hyper consistent look and feel, and that can become a bit limiting,” Poole explains. “When it comes to the typographic decisions for Jems, we’re looking to embody the themes and personality of the brand,” highlighting the diversity and inclusivity the product stands for.

Just like Whitman Emorson’s typographic choices, the vibrant colour palette aims to feel safe and reassuring while being a little bit weird at the same time. “We call the two main brand colours ‘alien green’ and ‘electric blue,’ Poole reveals, “each is a bit strange, yet they feel friendly.” This mixture of hues helps the brand not feel wedded to a specific gender, instead of reinforcing that Jems is for everybody. “Historically, the colour palette and design on condom packages only spoke to turbo masculine bros,” she concludes, “I mean... ew.”

Whitman Emorson

Jems