Hot Wheels
This project investigates a sustainable redesign of Hot Wheels packaging, challenging the brand’s long-standing reliance on plastic blister packs. The primary aim was to reduce material complexity and environmental impact while maintaining the functional and visual requirements of a mass-market toy brand.
The redesign replaces the traditional plastic blister with a fully fibre-based paperboard structure, produced from coated unbleached kraft (CUK) board. By eliminating plastic and mixed materials, the packaging becomes recyclable as a single material through standard kerbside systems. Sustainability considerations were embedded early in the process, informing decisions around material choice, structural efficiency, transport, and end-of-life disposal.
Structurally, the packaging was designed to securely house the vehicle without the use of adhesives or additional components. The form ships flat to reduce transport volume and assembles efficiently, supporting both manufacturing practicality and retail requirements. A standard euro-hook was incorporated to ensure compatibility with existing retail display systems, allowing the redesign to function as a realistic alternative rather than a speculative concept.
Visual design decisions focused on retaining Hot Wheels’ strong brand identity while adapting it to the new format. Bold colour, clear hierarchy, and dynamic imagery were used to preserve shelf presence and recognisability, while the simplified surface encouraged more disciplined layout and typographic clarity. The reduction in materials allowed the graphics to play a more prominent role in communicating energy and motion, reinforcing the brand’s performance-driven character.
Overall, the project demonstrates how sustainability can be integrated into packaging design without compromising usability, brand recognition, or commercial viability. By balancing structural innovation with considered visual design, the outcome presents a practical example of how established consumer packaging systems can be re-evaluated through a more environmentally responsible lens.
The redesign replaces the traditional plastic blister with a fully fibre-based paperboard structure, produced from coated unbleached kraft (CUK) board. By eliminating plastic and mixed materials, the packaging becomes recyclable as a single material through standard kerbside systems. Sustainability considerations were embedded early in the process, informing decisions around material choice, structural efficiency, transport, and end-of-life disposal.
Structurally, the packaging was designed to securely house the vehicle without the use of adhesives or additional components. The form ships flat to reduce transport volume and assembles efficiently, supporting both manufacturing practicality and retail requirements. A standard euro-hook was incorporated to ensure compatibility with existing retail display systems, allowing the redesign to function as a realistic alternative rather than a speculative concept.
Visual design decisions focused on retaining Hot Wheels’ strong brand identity while adapting it to the new format. Bold colour, clear hierarchy, and dynamic imagery were used to preserve shelf presence and recognisability, while the simplified surface encouraged more disciplined layout and typographic clarity. The reduction in materials allowed the graphics to play a more prominent role in communicating energy and motion, reinforcing the brand’s performance-driven character.
Overall, the project demonstrates how sustainability can be integrated into packaging design without compromising usability, brand recognition, or commercial viability. By balancing structural innovation with considered visual design, the outcome presents a practical example of how established consumer packaging systems can be re-evaluated through a more environmentally responsible lens.