Zippo Outdoor

Zippo is known worldwide for their iconic lighters and rugged craftsmanship. When it came time to grow their brand with lifestyle offerings and expand upon their outdoor line of products, Zippo partnered with WFM, who reinvented the packaging system in order to promote the quality of this heritage brand. These rugged products were a perfect modern complement to the brand’s traditional “flame” offerings. Validated by consumer research, the brand was inspired to take a bold, new direction. WFM integrated into Zippo’s ecosystem, by leading the packaging creative and partnering with a marketing consultancy, packing vendors in Asia, and Zippo’s in-house marketing teams to drive success. By evaluating the context of “mega” outdoor retailers, WFM developed a system that differentiates from the competition and resonates with consumers. The result was a premium quality outdoor line worthy of the Zippo brand.

Traversing the Path to Iconic Design

This new system, in contrasting white and fluorescent green colors, easily adapted to all of their packaging forms, while standing out in the retail context. The debossed topographic map in the background, red foil flame icon, and bold new adaptation of the iconic brand mark, reinforced the brand’s heritage. The packaging system was so successful that it subsequently influenced a refresh of Zippo’s core line of packaging and merchandising.