Packaging Pacific Rim culture 

'Fantastical birds are all over the artwork of the NZTrio's second album, while the title, brighttidemovingbetween, with its four words modishly run together, hints at the journey awaiting us.'

Thus begins William Dart's (New Zealand Herald) rave review of the trio's new album.

4i's was engaged to come up with both the title and packaging design soon after the album's four pieces had been chosen.

The NZTrio brand had hitherto focused on the intrinsic 'Kiwiness' of the musicians and their music, so their decision to record and release contemporary works by composers from four nations clearly demanded a more expansive creative approach.

Four composers, four countries: a four-part name appealed.

And since two of the composers hail from Asia, we looked to Asian poetic traditions for inspiration, arriving at a haiku-influenced arrangement that reflected the provenance of the pieces themselves: 'bright' for composer Bright Sheng, 'tides' and 'between' from Toru Takemitsu's Between Tides bridged by 'moving' '" both a nod to classical music terminology (movements) and to complete the title's message of motion and connectedness across the Pacific Rim.

The design develops the theme, using silhouettes of native birds as symbols of the four composers' nationalities, embellished with bouquet-like flourishes '" sometimes filled with hand-marbled patterns and sometimes reversed out of the same.

The packaging has had an immediate impact, helping the album reach number one on the classical music charts within three weeks of its release.

Meanwhile, celebrated conductor Marc Taddei had his own critical take on the packaging: 'It's about time classical music was given a groovy treatment.'

The packaging design won a Bronze in the 2008 Best Awards.

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