What are poppers? Poppers are essentially Alkyl nitrites that are inhaled for recreational drug purposes, typically for the “high” or “rush” that they create. Poppers have a relaxation effect on involuntary smooth muscles, such as those in the throat and anus making them very popular for gay men as they have been historically used during sexual encounters. Poppers also have a similar effect on the vaginal muscles as well.

The popper “rush”–a sensation of heat and excitement usually accompanied by a flushed red color in the face–only lasts for a matter of minutes. When inhaled, poppers relax the smooth muscle surrounding the body’s blood vessels, causing these vessels to dilate resulting in an immediate increase in heart rate and blood flow throughout the body. Poppers were originally created in 1844 by Sir Thomas Lauder Brunton, a Scottish physician, ironically as a treatment for angina pectoris (chest pressure.) They were packaged and sold pharmaceutically in fragile glass bottles wrapped in cloth sleeves which, when crushed or “popped” in the fingers, released the alkyl nitrite for inhalation, hence the name. The compact drug was part of club culture from the mid-1970s disco scene and returned to popularity the 1980s and 1990s rave scene. In some countries, to evade anti-drug laws, poppers are labelled or packaged as room deodorizers, leather polish, or tape head cleaner.

This project tackles two main problems with poppers: their packaging and their reputation. Poppers always come in glass bottles with paper wrappings and a screw cap. The issue, however, is that one would normally use poppers during very high-energy/heavy moving situations–i.e. while dancing at the club or during sex. Because you don't actually ingest the liquid in the bottle, rather you inhale the vapor, you often end up spilling your poppers before getting the chance to inhale them, wasting the liquid and therefore having to purchase a new bottle. Poppers also are vastly misunderstood by those outside of the gay community. While a lot of people think they are addictive, they are not, nor do they have any negative longterm effects on the body. This fear is simply bred from misunderstanding the history and proper usage of the drug.

To combat these problems, I decided to switch out the screw cap for a nasal cap–dubbed the “Nasal Penetration” and “Magic Wand” tip for their respective brands. With the new cap, one can move around as much as they please while inhaling the drug without spilling any liquid. Longer lasting and cost efficient. In addition to this, I also decided to develop two different brands–EDGE and Love Potion–marketed to gay men and heterosexual women, respectively.

EDGE is blunt, vulgar, to the point. The key demographic knows what poppers are and what they do. The color palette is as electric and hyper-focused on the pleasure and excitement aspects of poppers. The box is see through, has less copy, and showcases the product with little explanation needed. The Edge collection comes in three different scents: Peaches n Cream, Cotton Candy, and Raspberry Sucker. Love Potion is light-hearted, informative, and approachable with a twist. Marketed more as a sex and relaxation product rather than just a sex product, the target demo is likely unaware of what poppers are and therefore benefits from a box with informative copy. The vibe of the brand is more natural/witch inspired and while casually emphasizing the aphrodisiac aspect of poppers. Love Potion poppers come in three different scents as well including Lavender, Rose, and Vanilla.