Global beauty brand Estée Lauder acquired La Mer in 1995 and ever since then the company’s signature product, Crème de la Mer, has enjoyed legendary status around the globe, heralded as the most effective face cream of all time by countless skincare enthusiasts.

In a bid to allow fans a peek behind the curtain and discover some of this iconic product’s secrets, La Mer recently developed a limited edition promotional pack. Designed in-house by Justin Weinrich and Reg Sandland, the brief for this one-of-a-kind pack was passed onto the GPA Luxury Packaging team for manufacturing – and the results are simply astonishing.

The container for this complex pack is a rigid box with double doors that open outwards to reveal the interior chamber. The exterior has been wrapped in deep blue metallic art paper with a matte, soft-touch finish, and the doors are sealed with a circular, chromed zamac plaque bearing the La Mer branding. Tantalising visuals printed on silver mylar paper are displayed on the insides of these double doors, while in the centre of the pack sits the interior chamber, held closed by a blue front flap bearing the words I heard the ocean holds the secret. Use the colour-matched ribbon attachment to gently pull down this drawbridge flap and the final mysteries of this spectacular pack are revealed.

The innermost chamber contains two fitments on separate levels, each holding a pot of Crème de la Mer. As the front flap is pulled back, these fitments descend gently until the base is sitting flat. The entirety of the inner chamber is wrapped in glossy metallic blue paper and surrounding the fitments are curved pieces of card, which give the effect of the pots being immersed in a moonlit sea. The final touch is a hidden speaker system, which is activated by the opening of the front flap and plays a fittingly atmospheric audio file: the sound of waves crashing on the shore.

Our team was thrilled to work on such an exciting project, and is delighted with the finished result: a timeless keepsake that evokes the magic, mystery and wonder of this iconic beauty product.