Hammerhead Karoo 2 Packaging

Designing a High Quality First Impression

Hammerhead is a New York based company whose mission is to build the finest cycling computers. They approached Guacamole Airplane to reimagine the structural packaging for their newest product, the Karoo 2, a handlebar-mounted smart GPS unit.

The Challenge:

• Create a high value first impression for the Hammerhead brand through packaging, as for many Karoo 2 customers, this product would be their first time stepping away from entrenched industry players Garmin and Wahoo.

• Avoid materials that suck, specifically unrecyclable EVA plastic foams which Hammerhead had used in original Karoo 1 packaging. 

• Protect all products from damage and scuffing in shipping.

• Design towards an unboxing experience reflective of the high quality of design and engineering in the Hammerhead hardware.

The Results:

• A really epic box.

• Free marketing for Hammerhead from people instagramming the unboxing of said “epic box”

• Overall volume of package shrank from 97 to 59 cubic inches when compared to the original Karoo 1 packaging. This reduction in volume translates to a tremendous reduction in carbon emissions during shipping.

• 7X year over year increase in Hammerhead sales after launch of Karoo 2, leading to acquisition of Hammerhead by SRAM. All because of the packaging. Just kidding, but we’re honored to have played our small part in the project.

• All internal packaging trays made from diecut paper rather than unrecyclable foams.

Guacamole Airplane Project Team:

Ian Montgomery

Hammerhead Project Team:

Evan Huggins

Steve Winchell

Laurence Wattrus