Nice Package

When the bottle's as important as the product

November 9, 2006—For more than 40 years, Baxter of California has made some of the best men's grooming products out there—unobtrusive, functional, discreetly scented. The only drawback? The packaging—an important consideration if you want your stuff to be displayed in modern men's boutiques, alongside the designer clothes, carefully chosen Taschen books, odd bits of industrial machinery, and assorted bric-a-brac that constitutes the prevailing indie store aesthetic. In a sign of the times, then, Baxter is scrapping its current logo (introduced just five years ago) and going with a more current—i.e., self-consciously old-fashioned—look (left). The change is "completely aesthetic," admits company president Jean-Pierre Mastey. "Our old packaging said 'apothecary,' but we wanted a design that looked more 'lifestyle.'" Or, as Chris DiGiacomo, whose firm, Digi-Akimo, crafted the redesign, puts it, "The new look should appeal to people who are buying $200 jeans and limited-edition sneakers." The hidden bonus for guys who judge a product purely by its label? You'll find the razor-bump repair and other offerings work really well, too.
Baxter of California, available at select boutiques and www.baxterofcalifornia.com.