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ESTD 2014
MUMBAI BASED
INTENT
India’s first luxurious Ayurveda brand.
Rooted in Indian heritage, crafted
for today
CLIENT
FOREST ESSENTIALS
YEAR
2011 - 2023
In 2011, Forest Essentials asked us to help transform the perception of Indian Ayurveda from a homegrown do-it-yourself tradition to a luxurious lifestyle practice. It became clear to us that the brand stood for “luxurious Ayurveda”.
We rooted ourselves in Indian culture, experimented with Indian styles of art for the brand’s visual identity and set ourselves the challenge to broaden the Indian mindset about this ancient repertoire of knowledge and ritualistic care.
SERVICES
BRAND STRATEGY • MANIFESTO • VISUAL & VERBAL LANGUAGE • BRAND TYPOGRAPHY • PACKAGING DESIGN • GIFTING RANGES • RETAIL PACKAGING • SPECIAL PRODUCT LAUNCHES • LIMITED EDITION PACKAGING • OVERALL PACKAGING SYSTEM •BRAND EXTENSION IN STORE • STORE EXPERIENCE • SIGNAGE AND ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN • SPECIAL CAMPAIGNS • BRAND FILM FOR VOGUE EVENT •NEW VERTICAL SUGGESTIONS • NEW PACKAGING UPGRADE • OVERALL BRAND ART DIRECTION.
Year after year, we created original designs by bringing together contrasting ideas and expressing them through modern techniques. Each product line had its own distinct identity while remaining part of a cohesive visual language under the umbrella brand. The results speak for themselves: Forest Essentials has become a benchmark in its category, and the design language we created has set the standard that other brands now aspire to.​
MTD's process began by identifying the three core aspects of the brand, anchored by what we called the three M's
MOUNTAINS
Represents the origin, the mountains of Hrishikesh, where the ingredients of the
products come from.
MYTHOLOGY
Captures the foundational story of ayurveda that we draw our inspiration and design elements from.
MODERNITY
The lens through which the story is told - our aim is to find a way to present the mythology in a modern context.
VISUAL STRATEGY
We were shaping a brand identity that had no precedent.
OLD PACKAGING
When we began strategising, our only references came from two opposing ends - international apothecary-style brands like Aesop, and traditional Ayurvedic products with a medicinal purpose. Ayurveda and Indian luxury had not co-existed in the Indian brand market yet. This absence of a reference point became both our challenge and our biggest opportunity. For our inspiration, we looked to mythology and royal traditions to create our own tapestry.
BRAND ARCHITECTURE
PREMIUM RANGE
-
POMEGRANATE
-
ALMOND, PISTACHIO
AND HONEY
-
SAUNDARYA RANGE
-
SANJEEVENI RANGE
-
TEJAL AND RASA
-
OJAS
-
DATE AND LITCHI
SPECIAL EDITIONS
-
BUTTER SILK SOAPS
-
SOLID PERFUMES
-
FACE MASKS
NEW VERTICALS
-
MOTHER AND BABY
CARE RANGE -
INCENSE STICKS
DESIGN PROCESS
We set out to build a philosophy for a brand that is both timeless & new.
The name itself - Forest Essentials - is rooted in place and purpose. Every ingredient is taken from the forests of Rishikesh: plants, herbs, and trees. The products are hand-crafted in the villages of Uttarakhand using local labour and traditional methods. This commitment to purity and care extends to every part of the process, including ours.
There’s more than one way to experience Luxury. To celebrate this, we created three separate styles for each of the three product ranges. We drew from Mughal traditions and architecture and from representations of Indian mythology in different styles of Indian painting. Key ingredients were highlighted with styled motifs and we introduced colour blocking to distinguish between the ranges.
HOW WE DEFINED THE BRAND COLOUR PALLETE INSPIRED FROM HERITAGE AND NATURE
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WE BORROWED THE INGREDIENT STORY AS SEEN IN THE INDIAN ARCHITECTURE
POMEGRANATE
This range is designed around contrast. The sharp citrus of Kerala Lime is layered with the tangy sweetness of pomegranate. The anars bursting with juicy nector and the kerela lime paired with the sweet bloosoms of its flowers, accented by Mughal-inspired motifs.

ALMOND, PISTACHIO
& HONEY
We wanted to keep it as true as possible to the almond tree where soft pink flowers frame the fruit. The base of the label reflects the pistachio giving the whole product a summer feminine touch.
The Premium and Special Edition ranges called for a design language that felt rare and luminous like the formulations themselves. The product included ingredients like gold, saffron and sandalwood, embodying richness at every level. Our approach mirrored this. We used gold detailing, deeper tones and accents inspired by Indian ornamentation. We created unique interpretations of the ingredients that are opulent and slightly surreal.
SAUNDARYA RANGE
Inspired by divinity.
The design for the Soundarya range, infused with 24-Karat gold, needed to reflect both reverence and radiance. The Hindu goddess of wealth and prosperity, Lakshmi, stands for self realisation, emotional fulfilment and spiritual liberation. We took inspiration from her beauty and abundance by using a jewel-toned palette, motifs of sun and moon rays to capture a sense of rejuvenation, and the image of the lotus which represents purity and rebirth. This range is recognised as one of the most iconic collections in the Indian beauty industry.
Inspired by the legendary beauty of the lotus eyed, goddess Lakshmi- an icon of beauty who believed to have pioneered the use of pure Gold for her skin care rituals; Forest Essentials’ 24 Karat Gold infused Soundarya range is recognised as one of the most effective and iconic collections in the Indian beauty industry.
SANJEEVENI
The aesthetic of rejuvenation.
Mythology tells us that the Sanjeevani herb resuscitated Lakshman after he was injured in the battlefield by Ravana. Inspired by the herb which is the key ingredient in this range, the packaging draws from the idea of revival and regeneration. An aquamarine palette evoke the forest origins of the herb. As a continuing part of this range, the gold suggests divine potency. The cold infusion of this herb is the mainstay ingredient of the brilliant, award winning Sanjeevani Beauty Elixir.
TEJAL AND RASA
Lustre and essence bottled.
Tejal, meaning radiant, and Rasa, meaning taste, form a ritual that offers the skin’s first drink of the day. Our design captures this with luminous, dewy tones. The clear bottle offers transparency and when combined with the water-blue palette, evokes the stillness of early hours and quiet self care.
OJAS
Packaging that blooms with vitality.
Taking inspiration from the first rays of sunlight filtering through the forest, we combined warm golden-orange tones with floral patterns inspired by Indian blossoms like the marigold. The intricate detailing blend heritage styles with elegance. The tactile finish of the jar’s gold lid suggests luxury.
DATE AND LITCHI
Rich, satisfying ingredients made visible .
We created detailed botanical illustrations that represent the character of the ingredients. Soft pink and terracotta tones reflect the fruits’ essence. The uncluttered layout allows the playful softness of the blend to feel weightless.
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