2014 marked the beginning of BillerudKorsnäs' most ambitious journey. The company challenged itself to bridge the gap between the digital and the analogue worlds, with packaging.

With the help of an ambitious group of students and Spotify, BillerudKorsnäs set out to learn if it's possible to add value to a popular music streaming service by giving it a physical platform.

Can Spotify be put in a box?

In terms of packaging nothing could be more ambitious, or challenging, than to find the right packaging for something that doesn't really need it. So how can packaging add value to a virtual product? Or perhaps the real question is why would a virtual product want or need to be packaged?

These questions were the basis for the Spice:14 competition. A fascinating journey where BillerudKorsnäs and students from Berghs School of Communication in Stockholm set out to find the right package for Spotify. It was the first time anyone has attempted to physically package an online brand.

Spice:14 proved it possible

While each student had a unique perspective, there was a clear pattern and a consistent message. No matter how convenient and accessible we make things, you can never lose the human need to connect with others through objects. And the fact that Spotify is limitless is precisely why it needs a physical platform.

When presented with an endless amount of options, people welcome something familiar and tangible that offers direction and helps them create their own packages to share a box.

The students taught that people want the convenience, but aren't quite ready to abandon the analogue world completely. There will always be a need for physical platforms. It sounds like a challenge doesn't it?

BillerudKorsnäs is ready to continue the journey. As a brand that's always looking for ways to challenge conventional packaging, they're asking you to send your toughest ideas. They want to see what else needs packaging.