UrbanStems brand campaign — woman in orange dress with flowers

UrbanStems · 2017–2018

Rebrand, Packaging & Delivery System

Brand IdentityArt DirectionPackagingIndustrial DesignCampaigns

Overview

UrbanStems is a D2C flower delivery startup with strong traction in DC and New York — but when I joined, there were no systems to scale nationally. As Creative Director, I led a full rebrand, redesigned packaging and delivery infrastructure, and directed campaign creative.

Role

Creative Director

Brand Identity

Before & After

Before

A disjointed visual system, and packaging issues resulting in product damage.

Before: muted colors, inconsistent imagery, old logo treatment
Original packaging — structural failures in transit

Rebrand

Defined a bold, modern visual system —
Unifying color, typography, and photography across all touchpoints.

After

After: new logo lockups and website refresh — bold navy identity
After: social feed, color palette, and photography style — cohesive brand system

Campaign & Creative Direction

Valentine's Day Campaign

The company's highest-revenue moment. I directed the full campaign — social, display, email, OOH, and a national truck wrap that turned the delivery fleet into moving billboards.

Valentine's Day ad campaign — banners and truck wrap creative
Campaign social creative — 1pm / 3pm delivery messaging
Valentine's Day campaign shoot — lifestyle
Campaign bouquet shot — purple background

Packaging

Redesigned for
Real-World Delivery

Designed to survive a courier bike in August heat and a FedEx truck crossing three time zones — while still feeling like a gift.

My Process

Liz prototyping packaging at her worktable
Over 10 structural prototype iterations — each rider-tested before advancing

I created 10+ structural prototypes to pressure-test packaging with bike couriers and the ops team.

The Final Packaging

Structurally sound, eye-catching colors, ribbon handles for a gift feel — and compact enough for the Subway commute home.

Final UrbanStems courier packaging — poppy print with navy ribbon
Final UrbanStems courier tote alongside a fresh bouquet
FedEx packaging unboxing — flowers blooming from the blush box

FedEx · National Scale

Scaling Beyond Same-Day

A flat-pack box that protects stems in transit, opens like a gift, and arrives photo-worthy on your doorstep. The Vogue × UrbanStems collab shipped in this system (along with everyday bouquets).

Customer holding two blush UrbanStems FedEx boxes
UrbanStems FedEx box on a doorstep — flowers blooming out of the open lid
UrbanStems FedEx packaging — Vogue x UrbanStems collab

Courier Delivery System

In the Wild

I designed the delivery system from scratch — custom courier backpack, cargo bike rig, universal rack system, and ops workflow.

Tested the system myself before production.

Courier crossing a NYC intersection with a tower of UrbanStems flower boxes stacked on her bike

NYC courier on Valentine's Day — carrying 30+ deliveries in a single run

Courier picking up orders
NYC courier on Valentine's Day
Woman with umbrella carrying UrbanStems bags
Instagram post — moped courier
Liz testing the UrbanStems backpack system alongside the branded cargo bike
Liz with the full UrbanStems cargo bike rig — branded bins and backpack system

Content Production System

In-House Photo Studio

Built an in-house photo studio to scale creative output and cut costs — art direction, prop styling, content strategy, and farm photoshoot in Ecuador for storytelling content.

In-house studio — pink ranunculus on soft blue background
Farm shoot, Ecuador — sourcing with red gerbera daisies
Farm shoot — greenhouse workers laughing with purple flowers
Lifestyle shoot — artisan arranging a seasonal bouquet
Lifestyle editorial — UrbanStems bouquet in a minimalist home
Studio product shot — succulents on blue background
Studio shot — hand holding pink peonies on purple background
Valentine's Day flat lay — flowers, card, and chocolate
Studio editorial — seasonal flower flat lay on yellow
In-house studio — pink ranunculus on soft blue background
Farm shoot, Ecuador — sourcing with red gerbera daisies
Farm shoot — greenhouse workers laughing with purple flowers
Lifestyle shoot — artisan arranging a seasonal bouquet
Lifestyle editorial — UrbanStems bouquet in a minimalist home
Studio product shot — succulents on blue background
Studio shot — hand holding pink peonies on purple background
Valentine's Day flat lay — flowers, card, and chocolate
Studio editorial — seasonal flower flat lay on yellow
In-house studio — pink ranunculus on soft blue background
Farm shoot, Ecuador — sourcing with red gerbera daisies
Farm shoot — greenhouse workers laughing with purple flowers
Lifestyle shoot — artisan arranging a seasonal bouquet
Lifestyle editorial — UrbanStems bouquet in a minimalist home
Studio product shot — succulents on blue background
Studio shot — hand holding pink peonies on purple background
Valentine's Day flat lay — flowers, card, and chocolate
Studio editorial — seasonal flower flat lay on yellow

Swipe to explore →

Lasting Impact

Flowers delivered nationwide.

Built to Last

Packaging and delivery systems remain in production today — years after launch.

National Scale

Enabled UrbanStems to expand nationally through FedEx-compatible packaging systems.

Zero Damage

Durable packaging ensured courier-delivered flowers arrived in perfect condition.

Ops Standardized

Created a consistent last-mile experience and capacity across all markets.

Content Engine

Increased production speed and quality while significantly reducing content costs.

Premium Brand

Elevated brand perception from startup to premium gifting brand — Vogue collab shipped in the FedEx system.

Photography: Laura Metzler & Kate Warren ·
CMO: Lauren Bates · Copywriter: Katie Hudson

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