Design case study | Clean O2 a carbon captured soap brand

Tell us a bit about the brand – its heritage, its story, and its markets – and the brief for this project. How does the design express the brand’s values? 

The founders — Jaeson Cardiff, Kathi Fischer and Scott Forgrave — invented a revolutionary device, CarbinX™, that captures carbon dioxide emissions from building heating systems and turns it into non-toxic pearl ash (potassium carbonate). They figured they weren’t satisfied with simply capturing the carbon- they wanted to upcycle it. This led to development of Clean O2 soap and cleaning products.

What inspired the design?

The designers were tasked us with creating branding, packaging, and messaging that communicated the distinctive environmental value of their product without overwhelming customers with data and scientific jargon. With the core brand focused on the messaging strategy, the playful, multivalent CO₂ bubbles play a supportive role. Their arrangement reflects the shape of a CO₂ molecule—a wink and nod to the science behind the product that simultaneously communicates its sudsy cleaning power.

What is innovative or unusual about the pack? 

Rather than focusing on the brand, the designers focused on the story. Struggling to communicate the climate change technology behind its cleaning products, CleanO2 approached us for a complete rebranding to more effectively tell its story. We used a radically simple strategy that centers the brand
around the company’s innovative products: soaps made with carbon captured by CleanO2.What reactions have you had from consumers? 

Product: Clean O2

Agency: The Office of Ordinary Things

Launch country: Canada

Find out more about The Office of Ordinary Things