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A Swaddle in a Tiny Ring - Baby Ring Package Renewal -

A gift may begin before the package is even unwrapped.
The feel when you hold it. The time spent loosening the ribbon. That brief moment of imagining what is inside the wrapping. Each of those moments also becomes part of the memory of receiving a gift.

A small baby ring commemorating the birth of a baby. Because it is something to be carefully kept until the day it is handed to the child after they have grown, we decided to take a fresh look at how it is wrapped.

What to keep, and what to change

In 2023, as cobaco renewed its online store, the brand revisited its visual world. Quietly conveying the outline of things. Leaving space. Letting intelligence be felt within quality. "cobaco for baby" has also gradually refined its photography and website expression to align with that brand approach.

Meanwhile, the packaging had remained the same as before.

About three years later. While preserving the softness that feels true to a baby ring, we aimed for something that naturally connects with the brand's presence. At last, we began the package renewal.

Wrapping the baby ring like a swaddle

This time, the designer we asked to handle the package design presented us with several ideas. One of them was to place the paulownia box inside a cloth bag and tie it with a ribbon.
Until now, the paulownia box containing the baby ring and commemorative plate had been wrapped in thin tissue paper printed with an illustration of a baby. In the new packaging, the paulownia box itself remains unchanged, but it is placed inside a cloth bag and tied with a ribbon.

When we saw that idea, we immediately thought of a "swaddle."

The custom of wrapping a baby's body in cloth is said to have continued in many places for thousands of years. While the form and way of thinking have differed depending on the era, wrapping a small body in cloth has long carried people's wishes for the baby to grow up healthy.

Wrap and protect with cloth.

That simple gesture felt like a perfect fit for the baby ring, which carries the family's memories.

Elegance with a touch of charm

For the cloth bag, a finely woven broadcloth fabric was chosen. It is a thin, light fabric, yet one with a neat, high-quality feel.

The ribbon is about 20mm wide. The slightly thicker ribbon adds a charming, gift-like quality for a baby within its refined appearance.

Untie the ribbon and take the paulownia box out of the cloth bag. That slight extra step makes the time before opening the box feel just a little slower.

Putting the baby at the center of the wrapping

Along with the package renewal, we also decided to rethink the message card.

The card that had previously been placed at the bottom of the paulownia box is now attached to the center of the cloth bag in the new packaging. Since it also plays a role in shaping the impression of the wrapping, we chose a thick, sturdy extra-heavy cardstock rather than thin paper. It is the same paper used for the birthstone postcards, with a tangible presence as an object.

The baby depicted on the card is by animation artist Jun Wada.This is an original illustration created for cobaco for baby.

This baby image has been carried over unchanged from the previous packaging. However, if you look closely, a few eyelashes have been added. The eyes now have just a little more intensity than before.

What has been passed down unchanged, and what has been newly added.

The paulownia box that protects the baby ring and commemorative plate, the family memories recorded there, and the baby illustration all remain the same as before. Outside of that, a single new layer of cloth has been added.

Wrap and protect what is precious, and one day hand it on to someone else.

We hope the new package, together with the feelings embodied in the baby ring, will become something that stays close to your family's time.