THE PROTOTYPES

- Db Journey -

DURATION
2-3 Weeks

INDUSTRY
Travel, Outdoor gear

SERVICE
Bespoke packaging

DATE
February 2026

Db Black is Db Journey’s core community, the superfans who know the brand from the inside out, who notice the details others walk past, and who’ve been part of it from the beginning. For them, Db isn’t just a product they use. It’s a brand they carry.

The PROTOTYPES project was created entirely for them: a limited-edition drop of two prototype versions of the Hugger backpack, 30 pieces each, available exclusively to this inner circle. The intention was to honour that connection and to make them feel that this isn’t just a brand they love. It’s one that loves them back.

The packaging had to match that intention without compromise, not just premium in material, but precise in meaning. Every detail deliberate. Every layer part of the story. An experience unlike anything this community had received before.

We designed and produced all 60 packages across both prototypes. Each was built on the same structural foundation: 3mm greyboard covered in premium black anti-scratch paper, handmade in Slovenia. Inside, every component had its place. The Pack Heavy Chase Light book and production card were held in custom-cut black foam at the base, the backpack secured above, and the personalised certificate on top.

WHAT BOTH PACKAGES INCLUDED:

Hugger Prototype backpack: each package contained its own variation of the Hugger Prototype.
Pack Heavy Chase Light Book: Db’s philosophy and mindset, in print.
Custom Production Card: unique to each prototype, reflecting the design story of that specific piece.
Personalised Certificate: unique to each prototype, with different content and different positioning. Exterior on Prototype Y, interior facing up on Prototype 001.
Exterior shipping box: custom protective packaging also supplied by Unique Unboxing, with bubble wrap and foam wrap built to the exact dimensions of each package.

PROTOTYPE 001

Prototype 001 was the Hugger caught between two states: one half finished and complete, the other still carrying the marks of its own design process, sketches, production notes and annotations across the surface.

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The packaging was built as a direct extension of that same idea, not a container for the bag, but a continuation of it.

One half of the exterior was clean: covered in premium anti-scratch black paper, smooth and resolved. The other half spoke the same language as the bag, production details, design notes, handwritten-style markings and playful details that showed exactly what was being held and how it came to be. The story was already on the surface before the box was even opened.

Inside, the personalised certificate faced the recipient immediately, the first thing visible when the lid was opened. It introduced the project and the prototype inside.

Below that, the backpack. At the base, in precisely cut foam: the Pack Heavy Chase Light book and production card, placed side by side.

PROTOTYPE Y

Prototype Y was the Hugger turned inside out: everything that normally lives on the interior exposed on the surface. The packaging was built as a direct extension of that same concept.

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The exterior was left raw: 3mm greyboard, uncovered, with engraved design details. No finishing layer. No covering. Just the material itself, honest and exposed, the same way the bag wore its construction on the outside.

The personalised certificate was no exception: taped directly to the outside of the box, a message to the recipient about the project and this specific piece, visible before anything was opened.

Open the lid and everything inverted. The interior was finished and covered in premium black paper, with a printed design running across the underside of the lid. Below the backpack, in precisely cut foam: the Pack Heavy Chase Light book and production card, placed side by side.

Raw outside. Refined within.

SHIPPING & PROTECTION

Getting every package to its recipient exactly as intended was just as important as designing it. The finished boxes were shipped to a warehouse for assembly, where each component was placed inside. From there, they were shipped directly to the 60 final recipients across multiple countries.

To minimise the risk of any error, every inbound shipment to the warehouse included a assembly blueprint: a step-by-step instruction document sent both digitally and physically, specifying what goes in, how it’s placed, how the backpack should sit, how the lid closes, and how everything should be protected for transit. No guesswork. No room for misinterpretation.

All protective materials were supplied by Unique Unboxing as part of the complete project delivery, including custom outer cardboard boxes and bubble wrap foam, all built to the exact dimensions of the package inside.

Every one of the 60 packages arrived exactly as intended.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Box construction: 3mm greyboard
Cover paper: Anti-scratch foil laminated premium 1/0 black paper
Box dimensions: 59,5cm x 41,5cm x 31,5cm
Finished package weight: 4,1kg
Foam insert: Premium custom-cut black foam, precision-fit
Outer shipping box: Custom cardboard with bubble wrapping foam
Production run: 60 units, 30 each Prototype
Made in: Slovenia, EU

»When it comes to brands, many forget how crucial the customer experience is. Not just the ease of putting a product in the basket or the checkout process. People will forget what brands promoted or told them, but they won’t forget how brands made them feel. With Jakob’s help, we achieved a custom customer experience that people will remember far longer than any promotion, and one they’ll tell their friends about. Working with the Unique Unboxing team was straightforward, communication was easy, and they consistently delivered more than they promised. If you’re a brand looking to keep your customers for longer than just one order, this is the way to go.«

Tin Košir Popovič

Global Brand & Community Director, Db Journey