Turning "More/Hơn" into a message and culture for a packaging
(2025)
Art Direction, Typography, Custom Typeface, Packaging
Work from/for B&A Agency
As tradition goes, B&A creates a Lunar New Year gift each year for our clients, collaborators, and friends. For 2025, I had the chance to lead the project — teaming up with a new generation of young creatives at the agency to bring a fresh, artistic twist to this year’s gift.
This year's gift set challenged me to think differently and create a meaningful impact by exploring a fundamental human need: More (or “Hơn” in Vietnamese).
We all desire more: more positivity, more joy, and more fulfillment on our journey to happiness. This became the central concept for our project. We brainstormed intensely, looking for a way to translate that feeling into a gift set.
Then it struck us—the connection between the desire for "more" and the tradition of collecting calligraphic letters during the Lunar New Year (Tết). Typically, you receive one beautifully calligraphic word representing a wish or goal for the year. But why limit yourself? Why not a word for every day of the year?
For the colors, we stripped everything back to only red and black. We wanted to channel the raw, focused energy of the Tết holiday and the tradition of collecting calligraphic letters.
That’s how our concept came to life—transforming into a dynamic typographic system that runs through every piece of the gift set. And when “more” is the core idea, you naturally want the gift set to be packed with as many surprises as possible. There’s a sense of delight in the unexpected—opening the box to find product after product emerging, each with its own purpose, rhythm, and cultural connection.
But hey! Let’s stop here, and talk about the small elements that are very important to me: Hơn’s typefaces and the emblem.
My goal wasn't to recreate historical emblems or revive our old language - "Chữ Nôm". Instead, I wanted to capture a "vibe," a conceptual symbol that feels deeply rooted in our culture yet remains abstract enough to make you curious.
To get there, I leaned into the spirit of Kaizen. I treated the emblem as a process of continuous refinement, stripping away the literal details until I found the most disciplined, essential form. I love that little spark of tension it creates: a deep, cultural symbol sitting right next to a simple, modern word like 'hơn'. It’s that contrast between the ancient and the everyday that makes the brand feel alive.
The emblem formed by 3 letters “h”, “ơ”, and “n”. These are inspired by traditional calligraphy and Nôm script, yet unique on its own.
The tappered end strokes here resemble the physical brushstroke of Vietnamese calligraphy, which reflects the artist’s skill, emotion and individuality - something the laptop mouse can only do so much.
The vertical flow nods to the traditional text layout, while the signature B&A “&” adds a final touch of harmony between past and future.
The typeface also needed its own tension. I played with a condensed aesthetic—much like how traditional texts were squeezed or elongated to fit the narrow layout of a scroll in Vietnam. It's about making the type feel both disciplined and expressive at the same time.
One fun little thing I loved about this project—the lucky envelope pattern, where I snuck in a cheeky nod to this year’s zodiac animal, the snake. But that’s not all! Since B&A’s mascots are 🐝 bees and 🐜 ants, I was also asked to illustrate them and sneak them onto the concept story card with a shiny red foil stamp. It’s a tiny detail—see if you can spot it in the showcase images below!
For more details, you can check out the full amazing showcase by B&A Agency below.
Credits
Creative Director: Hung Nguyen
Project Manager: Lyn Vu, Tu Teng, Ngoc Minh
Graphic Design: Duong Tran, Minh Khiem, Thuong Ha, Khanh Chi, Minh Thuy
Copywriting: Tung Nguyen
Motion Design: Duc Sua, Dux Nguyen, Duy Tama, Duong Tran
3D Design: Nghia JPG, Duy Tama
Typeface: Duong Tran
Photography: Fuongy, Dung Tran, Tai Tue
Video Production: Quan Le, Duc Bui, Thanh Le
Guest DP: Vu Quang Tuan
Production: Gia Khanh, In Linh Anh
Showcase: Minh Khiem, Duong Tran, Thuong Ha, Duc Sua, Dux Nguyen, Duy Tama, Nghia JPG, Linh Muix, Thanh Le, Quan Le, Heidi Tran
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