B&B Studio uses organic shapes and abstract silhouettes to create brand new range for Kit & Kin

In theory, we all like the idea of products that protect the environment. When it comes to cleaning products, that means having refillable bottles and ingredients that are kind to the Earth. But how many people actually buy such products? In truth, most don't, and so London branding agency B&B Studio has been working to make a difference.

Back in 2016, they partnered with Spice Girl Emma Bunton and Christopher Money to brand their new venture Kit & Kin, which was dedicated to providing families with a sustainable range of products.

The brand launched online the following year with an innovative range of eco nappies, skincare and wipes. Since then, Kit & Kin has secured a global retail presence, launched the world's first reusable cloth nappy made using recovered fishing nets and nylon waste, achieved B Corp status, and protected 2,500 acres of rainforest from deforestation through the Kit & Kin Foundation.

Now, in 2023, B&B has helped create a new range of plant-based, eco-cleaning products for Kit & Kin. This sees the brand extend from its heartland of mother and baby into the broader world of home and personal care, all while maintaining its core brand pillars: Kinder to You, Kinder to the Planet and Giving Back.

Design Challenge

Made in the UK, Kit & Kin's new range of 12 eco-cleaning products includes hand-wash, all-purpose cleaner, multi-surface cleaner, and glass and mirror cleaner.

The range harnesses the power of plants to create effective, sustainable and non-toxic cleaning solutions that are entirely free from harsh chemicals and safer for people, the home, the rivers and oceans.

Based on a refillable system, the range's bottles can be refilled, reused, or easily recycled at home. The refillable pouches can all be returned to Kit & Kin free of charge to be recycled by specialists.

For B&B, which is dedicated to working with "the innovators and idealists who believe in a brighter, fairer and braver future", the design challenge was to ensure that the brand remained consistent and recognisable across all its ranges. The new designs needed to extend Kit & Kin from a mother and baby brand into a more grown-up lifestyle brand for the whole family.

In one sense, this was easier than it might otherwise have been. The original design intention had been to attract discerning parents with a stylish Scandi-inspired look and feel rather than leading on overly childish or baby-based codes.

As a result, the overall brand's name, logotype and tagline needed zero evolution to work on the cleaning range, and its soft, gentle and nature-inspired visual language had a natural harmony with sustainable household products.

Design Elements

The new product designs bring a layer of sophistication to Kit & Kin's existing illustration style, reimagining its organic shapes into abstract black line depictions of cleaning-inspired silhouettes.

Simply positioned on pastel shades on the refillable pouches, the range can sit comfortably alongside the baby-based products but also stand alone. The refillable structures are reminiscent of classic brown apothecary bottles, with functional black heads, simple screened-on descriptors and the Kit & Kin logotype.

"Working with sustainable brands has always been at the heart of B&B's ethos, and we're so proud to have maintained our longstanding relationship with one of the UK's fastest-growing eco-focused brands," says Shaun Bowen, co-founder at B&B Studio.

"Creating the cleaning range for Kit & Kin has so clearly demonstrated the strength of the original branding and its ability to successfully flex in new directions as the brand continues to expand."

Christopher Money, co-founder and director at Kit & Kin, adds: "It's our mission to become the number one sustainable lifestyle brand for families by providing everyday non-toxic essentials that are safe, effective, affordable and eco-friendly. Extending our brand into eco-cleaning represents a huge step on that journey, and ensuring the range met our high standards for desirable design was crucial.

"As always, B&B was a loved and trusted collaborator throughout the creative process. We are over the moon with how our brand now effortlessly fits in a new category and can potentially attract a new group of eco-conscious consumers."