With any limited edition, the challenge is to keep the art direction and design unique so it is clear this is a one-off series, while ensuring that the overall packaging design works in harmony with existing branding. DASH needed to ensure that the Belgian chocolatier’s western-style branding – as seen in its logo of a woman riding a horse – would work in harmony with any special design or elements that clearly promote the Mid-Autumn festival.

To create the design for the limited edition packaging, DASH drew inspiration from traditional symbols of the Mid-Autumn festival and Chinese culture. The moon is a key icon of the festival representing abundance, happiness and wellbeing. DASH paired this moon symbol with a lotus, one of the most significant flowers in Chinese culture. The lotus symbolises perfection, purity and is often portrayed in Chinese art and poetry. By combining these two elements – the moon and lotus – DASH was able to create a symbolic packaging design that worked in harmony with Godiva’s existing elements and communicated the spirit of the Mid-Autumn festival. The chosen colour pallet also adhered to the festival’s traditions, with red communicating fortune, joy and happiness and hints of gold representing prosperity and communicating a sense of luxury. The chosen symbols of the design were incorporated into the wider brochure design, flyers, hampers and special gift boxes.