Makeover Takeover: Zen in a Jar

Sometimes a better label is just a few clicks away. Avery’s “Makeover Takeover” series is designed to help small business owners create exactly that. With expert graphic designers at the helm, we revamp the original designs that you share, putting a fresh face on labels.

Makeover Takeover: Zen in a Jar
Nikki Brooks used Avery 2 1/2-inch round, glossy white paper label on her lid, which you can order via Avery WePrint or print yourself on label 22830. We added Avery 1 x 2 5/8-inch rectangular, glossy white paper label, which you can also order via Avery WePrint or print yourself on label 5260, to the 16-ounce jar.

Small business owner Nikki Brooks believes that we are responsible for the energy we bring to the world. In 2012, she founded Zen in a Jar, a line of handmade, wellness-supporting products to promote peace and relaxation.

Nikki’s original body scrub label needed to convey the strong, positive energy that her brand promotes. We wanted to create a label that resonated with her brand, something spirited, soothing and store-ready.

Champion the brand name

At first glance, it wasn’t immediately clear whether the brand name was “Zen in a Jar” or “Nirvana.” So, we enlarged the brand name to increase visibility, emphasizing the word “Zen” to underscore the purpose. Just underneath a thin bar, the scent – Nirvana – runs in a smaller, italicized font so as not to be confused with the brand name.

Add visibility and depth

Add visibility and depth

To make sure Nikki’s label could be seen at eye level, we added a glossy white, rectangular label to the jar’s surface. Now, the name is visible at every viewing angle – an important tactic for a smaller brand that’s working to get its name out there.

Adding the words “body scrub” to the rectangular label eliminates confusion. We also tweaked the language around the peach nectar scent, adding “invigorating mind, body + soul” to highlight the brand’s focus on wellness.

Match the brand with the label

Match the brand with the label

To complement the smooth edges of the circular lid, we replaced the mandala with a round lotus. Representing beauty and rebirth, the lotus still pairs well with the brand’s ideals. Since the image is more brand- than scent-oriented, only small tweaks are needed to apply the same round labels to other scents – more labels, less work.

The mandalas still make an appearance on the white, rectangular label. There, they’ve been shifted to the outer edges and reduced in size for ample white space.

Convey scent with colors

Moving away from the black-and-white palette, we opted for a calming color that represents the scent, peach. The typeface remains black to create a clear (and clean) contrast against the white background, boosting both visibility and legibility.

Same scrub, new sparkle

Now, not only does the Zen in a Jar body scrub label look just as delightful and energetic as the idea behind the brand, it’s also clear, well organized, and amplified by the addition of a second label – all without having to scrub the canvas completely clean.

“It’s the perfect graduation of my brand,” says Nikki, who was pleasantly surprised by the sleek new design. The label, she notes, has not only been elevated – the design has remained faithful to her brand vision. “The fonts and the product descriptions are great additions,” says Nikkki, “[but] I love that the mandalas are still a part of the design.”

Check out Zen in a Jar at zeninajar.com.