Designing for premium cigars is both challenging and fun. Not only is there opportunity design interesting products for several different platforms such as print, interactive and brand, but we also get to sample the product as it is being produced.

In Norse Mythology, Valkyrie are female figures that guide souls into Valhalla. Instead of working off the female form, however, we chose to dig into Germanic historic references from the 17th and 18th century. We love the use of emblematic shields, crests, and tapestries to give this tobacco line a more regally European look and feel.

We started in AI with concepts surrounding that historical ideal, and worked our way back to actual models based on those concepts. Even though the box isn’t nearly as ornate as the one depicted in the mockup, it’s still bears a more complicated and elegant design than most cigar encasements sold today.

Cigars have become a sign of luxury for younger generations, and they almost are like social currency when a cigar brand is shared amongst friends or colleagues. Therefore, it’s important for the most premium brands to appear as high value as their cost.