World Kitchen - Ekco- 123 Kitchenware Line
Inspiring design for everyday living
Facing increasing pressures from big box retailers and a glut of competitive offerings, the Ekco brand kitchenware line needed to be significantly revitalized. Boasting a clean, elegant, new look, the re-design catpured Ekco's brand DNA and it's retailers attention.
Found in over 50% of kitchens, the Ekco brand is one of the world's most commonly owned brands. Seeking to preserve the unique heritage of the 120 year old brand, Continuum applied the power of design to both product and packaging, infusing a design sensibility consistent with today’s sweeping consumer demand for a luxury feel in everyday products. Coupling modern materials and techniques with classic design sensibility, Continuum created a sleek, updated look reminiscent of the original design-- a brand heritage that had been forgotten with time. The result was a line of 34 simple kitchen tools that enhance and update the Ekco brand, improve Ekco’s presence in retail stores, and resonate with consumers looking for clean, elegant design. 
Continuum’s Industrial Designers reintroduced a grey zinc die cast collar to imitate the metal ring once used to attach the functional end of the utensil to its wooden handle. The smooth, rounded contour of the handle was replicated in a new plastic material, while the metal utensil end was replace with nylon. The simple and modern colors of steel grey and white were chosen for the design. Steel grey was chosen to mimic the brushed steel kitchen appliances popular in today’s modern kitchens, while crisp white handles project simplicity and cleanliness. Continuum’s Brand group modernized the packaging from a sticker tag on the product handle to a thick paper stock background with smart fonts, on trend color and crisp graphics. Bound to the product with a simple white wire, the new packaging compliments the integrity of the product while diminishing the residue left by the sticker. Ekco's kitchenware line now boasts a renewed identity with packaging and POS systems that provide a holistic brand presence at retail. Able to stand out among competitors in its price point, the Ekco design reflects the modern desire for versatility, usability, and high-quality design at a cost attractive to a wide range of consumers.
"Think simple' as my old master used to say - meaning reduce the whole of its parts into the simplest terms, getting back to first principles." Frank Lloyd Wright
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