Core77

The FLOWmarket: holistic shopping

By Core Jr - May 25, 2006

in Object Culture

Someone recently tried to summarize the changing Scandinavian economy to me as "...the Norwegians invent things, the Swedes build them and the Danes sell them." But this time the Danes are doing it all by themselves with the FLOWmarket. Designed as a response to world imbalances brought on by industrial progress, Mads Hagstrom, creative director of the FLOWinstitute, is marketing a holistic mindset aimed at corporations and consumers alike.

By addressing these imbalances on the individual, collective and environmental levels, the FLOWmarket sells adroitly labeled products in stylishly designed (but empty) packaging. The goal is to inspire a consumers and businesses to think, act and live more holistically. All are moderately priced from $5 to $20.

This innovative and fun way of re-educating society proves that no one does pedagogy like the Danes. Mere symptom removers like a pill bottle full of Stress Killers or a cigarette pack of Addiction Liberators will cost you $5, while the more holistic remedies of Inner Calmness, Balance, and Meaningfullness will cost $10. Need some Clean Air? Pick up a 200ml tetra-pack in the Environmental FLOW department for $6. Buy a 100ml carton of Tolerance and share it with your neighbors. Sadly, however, as is expected under the current administration, a soda can of Renewable Energy still costs about $9.

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Deena

19 years ago

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I think the point is to make the products look generic to portray the idea that any product could and should be green and not rely on marketing or fancy packaging to to be green.

Maybe I haven't been around the design block enough, but I thought the concepts were well thought out, humorous and appropriate. I bought a pack of "addiction liberators" for my boyfried and a pair of "choice makers" for my boss.
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diabolix

19 years ago

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Ever heard of helvetica? It's pretty much swiss grid with newer materials.
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diabolix

19 years ago

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Saw this at ICFF this past week and while it sounds like an interesting idea, it's execution was rather lacking. From a stylistic sense, it was very dated and the concepts presented were not consistently interesting enough to entice even the most green designer into a purchase. Most items looked like comps that could be made by any designer. I wonder how much they actually made at the show because it was very, very full at the end of ICFF.
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Julian

19 years ago

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What font is that on the packaging label??
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