Damselfly Collective is an Australian lifestyle brand and home of the original quote candle. Known for pushing boundaries, their products say everything you’re thinking - bold, cheeky, heartfelt, and unapologetically honest.
Secret Weapon Creative collaborated with Damselfly Collective across a range of typography-led candle designs and custom illustrated collections, including the much-loved Celestial Range (a series that blends art, emotion, and thoughtful craftsmanship).
THE DESIGN APPROACH
From the beginning, the brief called for artwork that felt expressive, timeless, and deeply considered. Damselfly’s audience values originality and emotional connection, so every design needed to feel intentional - not mass-produced.
Working closely with the Damselfly team, we explored hand-drawn typography and illustration as a way to bring warmth, character, and individuality to each candle. The Celestial range, in particular, took inspiration from Picasso-style line work, embracing simplicity, emotion, and movement through minimal forms.
TYPOGRAPHY + ILLUSTRATION DESIGN
The Celestial range featured a suite of twelve exclusive candle designs, each housed in a soft beige vessel and finished with hand-drawn elements printed in a delicate charcoal grey.
-
Visual Impact: Hand-illustrated line work created a refined yet expressive aesthetic, elevating the candles beyond traditional typography designs.
-
Symbolism: Each illustration carried subtle emotional meaning, aligning with Damselfly’s ethos of storytelling through product.
-
Craftsmanship: Every element (from letterforms to line weight) was created by hand to ensure authenticity and nuance.
-
Brand Fit: The restrained colour palette and organic artwork allowed the designs to feel both modern and timeless.
PACKAGING +
FINISHING DETAILS
To complement the artwork, packaging details were refined with the same level of care. Tonal textures and metallic finishes were explored extensively, with countless variations tested before landing on the final brushed stroke effect.
This attention to detail ensured the artwork translated beautifully across vessels, boxes, and supporting collateral — reinforcing Damselfly’s premium positioning.
THE OUTCOME
The final collection delivered a cohesive, art-driven range that resonated deeply with Damselfly’s audience. The Celestial range became a standout within the brand, celebrated for its emotional depth, artistic quality, and thoughtful execution.
Every candle felt personal, considered, and distinctly Damselfly - a true collaboration where illustration, typography, and brand values came together seamlessly.
“So, we reached out to local QLD artist Bree McDonald to collaborate on some epic new artwork & original typography to feature throughout the collection. Sitting down to debrief, we knew instantly that she was the kind of girl that saw life through the same lens as us. Quirky, and whimsical, her work is bursting with a life and vibrancy that encapsulated the feelings we were hoping to capture. Knowing we wanted tonal textural detail to be a key detail, we must have gone over a zillion different shades of silver, rose gold & blush before settling on the perfect pick for our original brushstroke packaging. That's right... even the artwork on the packaging was created by hand to ensure absolute perfection. We leave nothing to chance when it comes to our product development. It may seem like it's a simple brush stroke to the innocent eye, but before that comes a trillion versions and meetings and analysis about how thick each stoke should look on the corner of the box and if the paint splash is in just the right place..." - Christianna Heideman, Damselfly Collective
