Croatian Studio Tumpić/Prenc balances tradition with a contemporary approach – a vision that reflects the deep culture of the region in which they live. Creative director Anselmo Tumpić and managing director Sara Prenc Opačić founded the studio in 2017 after returning back to their hometown of Rovinj from Milan and Zagreb, where they both worked for bigger agencies.
The studio collaborated with Croatian extra virgin olive oil producer E Pluribus Unum, ‘custodians of 3000 organically grown olive trees’ in the Istrian peninsula, once a vital part of the Roman Empire. Tumpić says, ‘The goal was to design packaging that evokes the rustic charm of Istria and highlights the relatively unknown tradition of olive oil production, which dates back to ancient Rome.’
The studio’s process included gaining a deeper understanding of the region’s heritage. They discovered that the reddish soil of the area, known locally as ‘Terra Rossa’, plays a large part in the cultivation and quality of the olive oil. This became a key factor in the design of the packaging, taking cues from nature’s colour palette for the product’s screenprinted bottle. The box design uses Materica Terra Rossa paper to ‘further strengthen the conceptual connection between all elements.’
One key feature of the packaging is the design of a modern bottle which, when placed in the box, flows into a broken amphora-style silhouette. The cohesive ‘cracks’ within the bottle and box design make deeper links to Roman antiquity and the history of the olive orchard location. These fractures in the design also allow for a glimpse into the contents of olive oil within the bottle.
The project has received international recognition, including awards from Pentawards and Dieline and a D&AD Pencil.
