Brand, Strategy, Identity, Packaging, Form, Communications.

We believe great design starts with an idea. A creative spark fuelled by a sense of curiosity that leads to a new way of finding a solution.

Our mission is to create work that engages customers, inspires loyalty, and sets a new benchmark for what design can deliver.  We ask the hard questions, push for excellence and never settle for the status quo. We understand the harder path can lead to the most exceptional thinking and powerful design work.

Great design is brave, considered and often challenging. It’s the space where visual identity and ideas come together, to shift the way we think and ultimately make the world a better place.

Marx specialises in all elements of design, packaging, brand identity and communications, guided by our innate curiosity and love of strategic thinking. We thrive on transforming commercial challenges into creative opportunities.

We’re not afraid to push and pull things apart, using insights and design knowledge to deepen the resonance and relevance of brands.  We love to work with businesses looking for a different take on their brand, to unlock the potential at the heart of their product.

 

 

 

 

 

People

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Ryan Marx
Executive Creative Director & Managing Director

Ryan Marx. No relation to history’s famous Marx’s, however if you combine the irreverence of Groucho, the deep thinking of Karl and the timeless hair of Richard there’s a strange connection.

As our owner, design leader and creative director, his role is to push the studio towards greatness and keep the imagination flowing. Ryan is internationally renowned for his conceptual thinking and design craftsmanship, which means global briefs, a clutch of design awards and people wanting to pick his brain.

In his down time Ryan is probably still thinking about font kerning and the Pushpin manifesto. However, his true relaxing place is where family time, fishing and beer meet in a beautiful symbiotic union.

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Janine Bickerton
General Manager

Every design agency needs a Janine, but you can’t have her, she’s ours! With 25 years of industry experience Janine balances the pragmatism and strategic thinking required to manage a studio with a passion for exceptional design and its environmental impact.

Working closely with the Sustainable Business Network and other industry partners to rethink plastic packaging in Aotearoa. Janine also brings the essential category, consumer and business insights required to ensure our work delivers amazing results for clients.  Alongside driving the growth of the business Janine also gets a lot of satisfaction from seeing the Marx team develop and grow their skills.

Ok, we’ll stop skiting. Downtime for Janine is focussed on good books, culinary creativity and entertaining with friends.

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Tristan O’Shannessy
Creative Director

Tristan is one of those annoying breed of designers who excel at both the creative thinking and fine tuning elements of the process, making him an essential part of the Marx team. His long career in brand and packaging includes work with some of New Zealand’s most celebrated brands, there’s a high chance his design work is sitting somewhere in your house right now. Go on, take a look.

His role as creative director is to oversee, scrutinise and gently push for more while ensuring projects are commercially relevant. No pressure, Tristan. Leisure time revolves around family with a healthy dose of garden pottering.

 

 

 

 

 

Prudence Marx
Office Manager
Samantha Bulkeley
Senior Account Director
Rachel Dredge
Account Manager
Manuel Payán
Design Director
Nicola Kearns
Production
Aidan Turvey
Senior Designer
Michaela Spratt
Senior Designer
Hannah Jensen
Designer
Beth Xia
Designer

Awards

2023
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Best Awards
Chapter Zero - Business Communication
Gold
Kynn - Small Brand Identity
Gold
Kynn - Colour
Gold
Departed Spirits - Packaging
Silver
Chapter Zero - Editorial & Books
Silver
AGDA
Inside Store - Environmental
Distinction
Departed Spirits - Packaging
Merit
Chapter Zero - Editorial & Books
Merit
The Dieline Awards (US)
Almighty Active
1st Place
2022
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Best Awards
Tipple Topper - Small Brand Identity
Gold
Six Barrel - Small Brand Identity
Gold
Loving Earth - Colour
Gold
Almighty - Packaging
Silver
Six Barrel - Packaging
Silver
Tipple Topper - Packaging
Silver
Curatif - Packaging
Silver
Loving Earth - Packaging
Silver
Everybird - Packaging
Bronze
Avo Tree - Packaging
Finalist
Loving Earth - Design Craft
Finalist
AGDA
Tipple Topper - Packaging
Distinction
Kynn - Brand Identity
Merit
Almighty - packaging
Merit
Six Barrel - Brand Identity
Merit
Tipple Topper - Brand Identity
Merit
Curatif - Packaging
Merit
Everybird - Packaging
Merit
The Dieline Awards (US)
Berg - Beverage
1st Place
2021
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Best Awards
Animals Like Us – Business Communication
Gold
Animals Like Us – Packaging FMCG
Gold
Animals Like Us – Structural Packaging
Gold
Autex – Large Brand Identity
Gold
Tronque – Boutique Packaging
Gold
Tronque – Small Brand Identity
Gold
Good Vibes – Colour Award Graphics
Silver
Good Vibes – Packaging FMCG
Silver
Darkside – Boutique Packaging
Silver
Berg – Packaging FMCG
Silver
Thankyou – Large Brand Identity/Cultural
Silver
Vogel's Cereals – Packaging FMCG
Silver
Everdaily – Packaging FMCG
Silver
Yes You Can – Packaging FMCG
Silver
Yes You Can – Small Brand Identity
Silver
Thankyou, No Small Plan – Design Communication
Finalist
Thankyou, No Small Plan – Public Good Award
Finalist
Yes You Can – Colour Graphics
Finalist
AGDA
Autex Acoustics - Brand Identity
Distinction
Yes You Can - Packaging
Distinction
Everydaily
Distinction
Thankyou - Brand Identity
Merit
Berg - Packaging
Merit
Tronque - Packaging
Merit
Animals Like Us - Packaging
Merit
Goodvibes - Packaging
Merit
Darkside - Packaging
Merit
The Dieline Awards (US)
StrangeLove Water - Packaging
2nd Place
2020
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Best Awards
StrangeLove Waters - Packaging
Gold
Love Can - Packaging
Bronze
Pumpd - Packaging
Finalist
Almighty - Packaging
Finalist
AGDA
StrangeLove Waters - Packaging
Distinction
Love Can - Packaging
Merit
The Dieline Awards (US)
Rare Harvest - Packaging
2nd Place
2019
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Best Awards
StrangeLove Sodas - Packaging
Gold
True Honey Rare Harvest - Packaging
Gold
StrangeLove Sodas - Communication
Silver
True Honey Rare Harvest - Structural
Silver
AGDA
StrangeLove Soda - Packaging
Merit
Rare Harvest - Packaging
Merit
2017
+
Best Awards
Goodfor - Brand Identity
Gold
Marx Gift - Packaging
Gold
L&P - Packaging
Bronze
Goodfor - Design Communication
Silver
2016
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Best Awards
The True Honey Co - Structural
Gold
The True Honey Co - Small Brand
Silver
The True Honey Co - Design Craft
Silver
The True Honey Co - Packaging
Bronze
StrangeLove Tonics - Packaging
Bronze
Bruce Juice - Packaging
Bronze
AGDA
The True Honey Co - Packaging
Distinction
The True Honey Co - Structural
Distinction
2014
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Best Awards
New Zealand Spring Water - Packaging
Gold
F. Whitlocks & Sons - Packaging
Silver
Coffee Supreme - Packaging
Finalists
2013
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Best Awards
StrangeLove - Promo Gift
Bronze
Ping's Popchips - Packaging
Bronze
Marx Wine
Bronze
2012
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Best Awards
Living Earth - Packaging
Gold
Cazulo - Packaging
Finalist

Working with brands in the packaging and product space, sustainability is incredibly important to us.

We guide brands to make choices that put the environment first and aim to eliminate waste in everything we design.

Our approach to sustainable packaging is to recommend our clients consider both the life cycle and “end of life” when choosing packaging.  We believe a circular economy for all plastics is vital to stop the damaging effects of plastic pollution.  When plastics are kept out of the environment and in the economy via high value recycling & reuse it’s the best possible outcome for all of us.

Elimination of unnecessary packaging and innovating with smart design is something we’re extremely well versed in.  Choosing to use products that can be safely reused, recycled or composted, by understanding how local infrastructure supports the solution. Clear on-pack communications on how to best disassemble, recycle or reuse packaging are our collective responsibility to keep products circulating and out of landfill.

Download our open source packaging stewardship briefing form

 

 

 

 

 

A selection of clients we’ve had the pleasure of working with.

Almighty
Artemis
Animals like Us
Ceres Organics
Cerebos Greggs
Curatif
GoodFor
Good Vibes
Harraways
Hello
Hutchinsons
Kraft Heinz
Lo Bros
Loving Earth
Lion Nathan
L’affare
Methven
Meyer Gouda Cheese
National Digital Forum
Only Organic
Sanford
Serious Food Co
Six Barrel Soda
Soulfresh
StrangeLove
Suntory
Supreme Coffee
SBN
Thankyou
The Avo Tree
Tronque
Two Islands
DINZ
True Honey Co
Veggie Shake
Vogels
Verso
Whitlocks
Zalm
Angel Food
Everdaily
New Edition
Ngāti Whatua Orakei
Poor Toms
Yes You Can