The dual nature of our Mirage product, sustainable and luxurious, also surfaces in the piece designed to testify to the paper’s print performance: The visual book.
The Mirage visual book is an editorial project conceived and designed to illustrate the results that can be achieved.
Favini expressly wanted this piece to be capable of inspiring designers by following the communication concept on which Mirage was created.
Mirage is a mirror-effect paper made with a PLA film, a biodegradable bioplastic obtained from renewable raw materials which makes the paper completely recyclable.
The concept phase: The theme and the connection with Mirage
Even from a communication point of view, Mirage is unique!
Are you ready to meet Alice, the Mad Hatter and the White Rabbit? Enter our Wonderland!
Why all these references to Wonderland?
The sequel to the famous story of “Alice in Wonderland” is “Alice Through the Looking Glass”, so the connection with Mirage came naturally to us.
Its reflective feature transports you to a new world: Mirage in Wonderland! You can find Alice’s characters in our Visual Book, the tool that shows the performance of paper in print.
Amongst the pages you will immerse yourself in the world of Mirage and get to know Alice, the Mad Hatter, the Red Queen, Humpty Dumpty, the Caterpillar, the White Queen…
The production phase: Non-conventional techniques and fine workmanship
From the first glance we see that this editorial project is unique.
The pages are not browsed through in a traditional way; they are in fact bound on the short edge, therefore it opens vertically.
How come?
To reveal all the elements of the pages you need to play with the mirror surface: only in this way will the image appear complete.
Hidden messages are printed on the reverse of the previous page and are reflected onto the surface of Mirage.
On each page a different character from the story is presented and is connected to a potential application area for Mirage.
All the illustrations in the visual book were created specifically for this project, to enhance the story of the paper.
On the first page we see a mirror frame cut out revealing Alice’s face on the page below. These two pages are litho printed. The character of Alice, with remarkable make-up and looking at herself in the mirror, is a reference to the world of make-up and beauty; two sectors where Mirage can be used.
The character of the Hatter brings to mind the world of fashion accessories.
Without using the use of the reflecting mirror effect, the hatter appears without a hat, his defining element; just as Mirage without its mirror surface would lose its identity.
The Caterpillar shows how the effect given by the hot foils on Mirage is also effective.
The moustache has an even more special effect thanks to this process.
“You immediately have an image in mind when you hear about Alice in Wonderland.
The challenge in illustrating the characters was to play with the familiar and still create a completely new interpretation.
Just as Favini reimagined the shiny paper, we wanted to reinvent Alice.“
Mirage is a board capable of surprising. What about its related communication activities? Obviously they aim to highlight the WOW effect!
We think that the best way to promote our graphic specialties, Mirage included, is to “experience” the material, letting our eyes encounter the aesthetic value while the tactile experience does the rest, by perceiving textures and finishes. But we don’t always have the opportunity to allow our board to be experienced in person. Fortunately, the digital world offers us the possibility of reaching everywhere with our story.
Let’s find out Mirage’s launch strategy.
Discover Mirage’s launch strategy
Mirage, like all our graphic papers, is recognisable by a wealth of technical characteristics.
These are connected by a sense of soul: A sort of quality that adds an emotional value to the material.
In particular, Mirage is associated with the imagery of Alice in Wonderland, or more correctly to its sequel, Alice Through the Looking Glass.
A surreal setting, with a nonsense that astonishes the viewer and an etherealness that speaks to the childish spirit inherent in all of us.
This is the context in which our collection of mirror effect papers, Mirage, took shape.
Preview of the launch: The Mirage wonder box
To allow people to enjoy our new Mirage board, we created a delicious invitation: A special box containing the instructions to access a virtual Tea Party, but also inside also is a real biscuit and teabag.
The idea is to connect us directly to the iconic scene of the Mad Hatter’s tea party in which Alice takes part when she’s in Wonderland.
The box is made using Mirage reverse side up, contrary to what you expect: The outside is a natural solid board, the inside instead amazes with its mirror effect.
The black version was chosen to connect us with the concept of mystery: Continue reading to discover the narrative.
The immersive web experience: A website dedicated to Mirage
To explore the story of Mirage we developed a special website: How can I access the information on this site?
Just as Alice let herself fall down the rabbit hole to enter Wonderland, so she needs a shake to immerse herself further into Mirage’s information.
Firstly, Alice accompanies you into this unique setting (we speak about the film we produced directly below!), then you will discover the curious characteristics of the product by reading the contents of a series of cards.
Wonderland according to Favini: The trailer for Mirage
Alice comes across an enchanted forest with shiny, reflective and mirrored items: they are all made with Mirage!
To introduce our mirror effect paper, bizarre stage prop items were created: from the simplest but no less amazing cubes and flowers, to a table laid with a surreal mega muffin and other frosted effect delicacies, all set for the perfect Tea Party.
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Alice invites you to be enchanted by the shine of Mirage, the reflection from its surface and also to experience its tactile aspect.
The natural backdrop – a lush forest – reminds us that Mirage has an important edge in terms of its ecological credentials in comparison to others from this category of paper.
The digital experience continues: The “Mirage is out” social campaign
Mirage and its unique character inspired a series of nonsense stories for the Instagram profile @favinipapers.
We have compressed them into two reels, have you already seen them?
A crazy makeup tutorial with Alice, shopping with the Mad Hatter, a course on colour changing tea, a documentary of jumping backwards with bunnies…
…absurd lessons for writing backwards and for winning at cards with the Red Queen, a lip reading challenge.
Shhhhh! Here’s an obscure fact: All of the extras are employees and friends of Favini!
Live emotion: Mirage swatch and its visual book
Two great classics to return back into a physical reality, after a long series of initiatives in the digital world: For Mirage, as with all other Favini graphic specialties, the irresistible swatch book and inspirational visual book were created.
The swatch book contains samples of all seven colours available: Clear Mirror (in two weights!), Golden Gloss, Black Rock, Vanilla Skin, Snow Flake, Sky Mist and Red Kiss.
Which version do you prefer to reflect upon?
The “Mirage in Wonderland” visual book has a dual function: Displaying ideas regarding printability and also describing the product’s story.
There’s a lot to say! If you are curious about this project, read the dedicated in-depth analysis.
The official presentation to the market: The launch at the fair
Remaining in the physical world, another important event for Mirage was the launch at Packaging Premiere, the event in Milan where all of the most established players in the luxury packaging sector meet.
The Favini stand impressed with its large mirror which attracted attention for its magnificent Cheshire Cat frame and which became the hero for the “Alice in Wonderland” themed selfies.
To quench the thirst for curiosity, our staff revealed the secrets of Mirage. To quench the real thirst, at our stand we sipped a delicious colour-changing cocktail!
An idea from our artist friend Ale Ramblar, who was enchanted by the charm of Mirage and which came from a lightbulb moment during his visit to the Venice Biennale, where he was exhibiting a work made of Favini paper.
Conclusions on communication activities on Mirage
“For us designers, it’s always a great blessing to be able to work freely and impartially on a project. Favini has given us this freedom and the possibility to design the complete world from start to finish.
That’s why everything, from the concept and the story to the sample book, the website, the film and the marketing materials, looks like a unified whole. We are very grateful that we were allowed to realize our vision so extensively and without restrictions.“
“Our video is a celebration of Favini’s Mirage paper, showcasing its unique qualities in a visually appealing way. It’s an exploration of the endless creative possibilities the paper brings to packaging.
Just like Favini Mirage, our video is playful and invites the viewer to immerse themselves in a new world, where creativity knows no bounds.“
“I was truly captivated by Mirage during my visit to Favini’s factory in Italy.
I was impressed by how it combines innovation and eco-friendliness. The mesmerizing mirrored effect achieved through sustainable techniques is something I haven’t seen before.
Mirage is a testament to Favini’s commitment to pushing the boundaries of innovation while achieving the highest standards of environmental responsibility.“
“Mirage is a paper with a strong appeal thanks to its mirror effect. Its ability to capture attention begins with a visual curiosity stimulated by the reflecting light and the images that are reflected on its surface, whether they are objects, the surrounding environment or even the viewer himself. The unconscious factor plays a fundamental role in definitively seducing the observer, since, according to neuromarketing, human beings are naturally drawn to everything that recalls the concept of what is essential to life, such as water.
To form a communication strategy to express this conceptual part of the product, we entrusted the brief to the brilliant creativity of Florian Scharinger. Recognized in the design community for his award-winning designs in international competitions, Florian has captured the key elements of our new paper: Its mirrored effect, its “liquid” colour, Its eco credentials and its distinctive ability of self.
We wanted to engage, intrigue and inspire our audience through an interactive website, an editorial project with commissioned illustrations, a film by Senger-Prager including many other associated curiosities.”
— Elena Simioni, Communication & product manager Favini
Mirage will entice you with its mirror-like effect. In creating Mirage, we paid special attention to achieve a very high ecological standard, such as choosing a glossy bioplastic biodegradable film made from renewable raw materials.
Intriguing contrasts tempt you to touch, but the real added value of Mirage lies in its ecological qualities: this multi-layer board made from certified pure virgin fibre is fully recyclable. Environmental responsibility blends beautifully here with style. To ensure elegant results, Mirage is solid dyed and comes in a range of irresistible shades.
Mirage is FSC™FSC™ C001810 certified, bio-based and recyclable in the paper chain.
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