Context

For the development of Maria Antonieta’s coffee packaging — a bistro, boulangerie, pâtisserie, and chocolaterie with its own brand — we sought for a clean yet charming aesthetic. Our goal was to make the coffee stand out as a refreshing contrast within a product portfolio, which was fulfilled by rich and maximalist designs, while also maintaining the brand’s positioning in the luxury market. The packaging design was inspired by the coded and redacted letters secretly exchanged between Marie Antoinette and her alleged lover, Count Axel Von Fersen.

Is there a more romantic way to represent France – the inspiration behind the creation of Maria Antonieta – and its City of Love, Paris, than through letters? For us, this felt like the perfect symbolism. However, we decided to go further and deeply explore the queen’s history and her connection to letters.

We learned that, between 1791 and 1792, Marie Antoinette exchanged a series of letters with her alleged lover, Count Axel Von Fersen. To keep the content of their messages secret, they used codes, adding random letters to words or censoring entire phrases with redactions. Decades later, researchers uncovered words such as “beloved,” “dearest friend,” and “madly.” This story was immortalized on the sides of coffee cans through a clean yet luxurious layout that captures the romance and sophistication of France.
The side of the can features a reproduction of one of the original letters, with the words standing out against a white background and extending across the front and back views, creating a seamless visual flow. Golden details, carefully applied to specific areas of the packaging, add a touch of luxury and sophistication, making the packaging a highly presentable piece – an important aspect for the brand and its consumers.