Burt’s Bees Product Islands

digital & social campaign

2024

fcb chicago

For this project, I crafted immersive product islands that showcase the natural ingredients, iconic fragrances, and sustainability values of Burt’s Bees. Using a combination of AI-generated imagery and advanced Photoshop techniques, I designed lush, detailed environments where Burt’s Bees products seamlessly blend with nature—reflecting the awe-inducing feeling of using a Burt’s product. Each island was meticulously constructed to highlight key product attributes, such as botanical ingredients, nourishing beeswax, and the fresh, inviting fragrances of honey, citrus, and wildflowers.

Every detail—from the lush greenery to the golden glow of honeycombs—was carefully curated to evoke the sensory experience. By integrating AI’s generative capabilities with custom retouching, lighting adjustments, and compositional refinements, I created an organic yet elevated aesthetic that enhances storytelling and strengthens Burt’s Bees' authentic, nature-driven brand identity.

Island Creation Process

Each Burt’s Bees product island begins with a vision—I start by identifying key elements that will shape the environment, ensuring they align with the product’s ingredients or scent that should be highlighted. Using AI-generated imagery, I first create the base of the island, establishing its form and atmosphere.

Next, I generate florals, botanicals, and key ingredients that highlight the specific product, carefully selecting elements that enhance its story and sensory appeal. Once I’m satisfied with the individual components, I bring them all together in Photoshop, refining details, adjusting lighting, and seamlessly composing a final image that feels both organic and immersive.

seasonal product islands: rescue relief island

To align with the client’s vision of marketing the same products for both winter and summer, I created dual product islands that seamlessly transition between two distinct seasons. The goal was to maintain the same island structure and composition, ensuring a sense of continuity—almost as if we are revisiting the island in a snowy, winter setting and then experiencing it again in a lush, sunlit summer environment.

By adjusting the coloring, atmosphere, and seasonal details, I transformed the environment to reflect the cool, frosty essence of winter and the warm, vibrant energy of summer, while keeping the product and its natural ingredients at the center of both narratives.

expanding product islands to box sets: tips and toes island

To showcase Burt’s Bees box sets, I expanded the product island concept beyond individual products to highlight a curated collection of essentials. The client needed a versatile design that could transition between holiday gifting in winter and a self-care focus in summer, ensuring the set felt seasonally relevant while maintaining a cohesive visual identity.

To achieve this, I designed two distinct yet complementary islands, each featuring a serene hot spring as the focal point—because who wouldn’t want to be that bee relaxing on the island? The winter island embraces a cozy, festive atmosphere, perfect for holiday gifting, while the summer version radiates warmth and rejuvenation, aligning with the idea of self-care and renewal.

occasion specific product islands: Birthday and valentines island

Some moments call for extra celebration, and Burt’s Bees wanted to showcase their products in ways that felt festive yet naturally aligned with the brand’s essence.

For the Birthday Balm island, I created a design that captures pure joy and excitement while maintaining the organic beauty found in every other island. The addition of sparklers, resembling blooming flowers, brings a lively energy to the composition—because what’s a birthday without a little sparkle? The final design strikes the perfect balance between festivity and natural elegance, making it feel special yet distinctly Burt’s Bees.

For Valentine’s Day, I collaborated with another designer to bring a larger, multi-island composition to life, featuring three unique mini islands, each dedicated to a different Valentine’s lip bundle. Each mini island highlights key natural ingredients, while a romantic pink sky subtly cues consumers to the tinted shades they can expect from the lip products. The addition of heart shaped clouds and the iconic Burt’s bees carrying a heart-shaped rose petals ties everything together.

out-of-home design: bringing the islands to life

Although this project was originally designed for digital and social experiences, we wanted to demonstrate how seamlessly these product islands could transition into print and large-scale advertising. To showcase this potential, I created mockups for posters and billboards, proving how stunning and impactful the islands could be in an out-of-home setting.

Seeing these lush, immersive islands placed within a bustling cityscape creates a striking mini oasis, drawing attention and reinforcing Burt’s Bees’ connection to nature and self-care. To enhance this effect, I paired the islands with lifestyle photography of people using lip balm and skincare products, creating a dynamic and aspirational visual story.