01
Audience research & strategy

Our audience research focused on Crafted Liberation’s impact. Our goal was to understand the emotional drivers behind support for this project. We identified two key personas:

The Drivers: Primarily Iranian women living outside Iran, deeply connected to the Women, Life, Freedom movement.
The Drivers: Primarily Iranian women living outside Iran, deeply connected to the Women, Life, Freedom movement.

These insights informed every aspect of our brand strategy, guiding the website and content creation to engage these audiences emotionally and effectively.

01
Brand design & copywriting

The brand design embodies RK Collective’s philosophy of ‘design for function, not decoration.’ The aesthetic for RK Collective is minimalistic and modular, using earthy, neutral colours and a clean, sans-serif font. For Crafted Liberation, we introduced a vibrant Persian-inspired colour palette, reflecting the cultural significance of the project. This differentiation in design helped to establish RK as the umbrella brand, with Crafted Liberation as its signature project.

For Crafted Liberation, we introduced a vibrant Persian-inspired colour palette, reflecting the cultural significance of the project. This differentiation in design helped to establish RK as the umbrella brand, with Crafted Liberation as its signature project.

01
Brand design & copywriting

Home > Case studies > ReCo Refill: Branding, packaging and e-commerce website

ReCo Refill: Branding, packaging and e-commerce website

About

ReCo Refill was Sydney’s first plastic-free refill delivery service — launched by our team during the pandemic in 2020. Within a year, it became a trusted name in Sydney’s sustainability community.

How it worked: Customers ordered online, received eco-friendly products in reusable glass jars, then left them out for refill. Each return earned a reward — making circular living simple and rewarding.

Note: This case study focuses on the branding, packaging and website design. For more on the strategy and circular model, see our separate case studies.

Project goals

Create an authentic, community-led brand identity
Design sustainable, elegant packaging customers would proudly reuse
Build a streamlined e-commerce experience balancing storytelling and functionality

01
Brand identity & direction: Creating familiarity

Sustainability shouldn’t feel complicated. It should feel easy, everyday — and part of something bigger. From the start, ReCo Refill was built on simplicity, authenticity and community pride.

Visual identity
Inspired by brands like Uniqlo and Aesop, the identity was minimal, bold and instantly recognisable. It rejected greenwashing clichés in favour of real action and collective empowerment.

Brand image
We made ourselves the face of the brand — showing up in deliveries, ads and social. It wasn’t just branding; it was relationship-building. Customers connected with the story, and the people behind it.

Photography style
We kept it natural, honest and elegant — featuring real people, real products, real homes. The result felt warm and familiar without trying too hard.

Over the 3-year operation, we continually refined audience personas based on long-term observations, purchase patterns and user retention to fine-tune our business and marketing strategies. Read more in our strategy case study.

02
Packaging design: Function meets aspiration

Our amber glass jars became brand icons — beautiful, refillable and proudly displayed in customers’ homes.

During the pandemic, when people gathered more in private settings, the jars created unexpected brand moments. Many new customers told us they discovered ReCo at a friend’s house. This passive, elegant visibility turned every kitchen shelf into a subtle form of brand advocacy.

03
E-commerce website design: Intuitive refill process

We launched fast, learned quickly and refined constantly. Our team tested early versions using heatmap and analytics, then iterated based on user behaviour — eventually building a sleek, high-performing Shopify 2.0 experience supported by a experience-rich Webflow front end.

We divided the experience into two clear parts:

Storytelling: Educating users on how refills worked, why they mattered, and how to get involved
Online shopping: A seamless, mobile-first path for ordering, refilling and earning rewards

With every update, we reduced confusion and customer service needs. Over 3 years, we only needed to assist a handful of customers — the system spoke for itself.

Project impact

Plastic waste reduction: Saved over 3,000 single-use containers from landfill
Community reach: Delivered to over 500 Sydney households and reached tens of thousands through media and social channels
Media recognition: Featured in Daily Telegraph, Broadsheet (twice), Renew, Planet Ark, and across local newspapers (Wentworth Courier, Mosman Daily, North Shore Times)
Industry engagement: Secured support from partners such as EY, Boomerang Labs and Pack & Send. Presented to large corporate brand partners including Adobe, Lendlease and Aesop, positioning ReCo Refill as a pioneer in sustainability.
Government support: Received City of Sydney innovation grants and NSW Government mentorship to develop and test the model

Key takeaway

Authentic, human-led branding builds emotional loyalty
Packaging can become your most powerful marketing tool
Familiarity and recognition increase conversion and customer trust
User-centred design reduces friction and increases retention
Launch fast, iterate smart — build momentum early

Our services

Brand identity & messaging
Packaging design
Website UX, Webflow and Shopify 2.0 e-commerce development
Photography art direction
Ongoing iteration and digital performance optimisation

Links

reco-refill-demo.webflow.io

Credits

Photos: ReCo Digital / Jason de Plater

Pitch decks

Can we support your growth journey?

We’re on a mission to help you transform your vision into action, overcome challenges, and co-create a brighter future for all. Contact our co-founder Danling to discuss your project today.

Relevant case study

Crafted Liberation: Audience-led strategy for cultural disruption

How deep audience research and cultural insight shaped a brand narrative around one of the most politically-charged design projects in Australia.

01Audience research & strategy

01Brand design & copywriting

01Brand design & copywriting

ReCo Refill: Branding, packaging and e-commerce website

01Brand identity & direction: Creating familiarity

02Packaging design: Function meets aspiration

03E-commerce website design: Intuitive refill process

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Crafted Liberation: Audience-led strategy for cultural disruption

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