Le Parc Shares the Power of a Smile

In these unprecedented times we find ourselves in, even the smallest acts of kindness can make a big difference to our collective emotional well-being. With this in mind, Le Parc, the design arm of Juniper Park\TBWA, developed face masks featuring various smiling expressions to make staff smile, as well as spark some joy in those around them.

The current societal situation requires us to wear a face mask in public to keep ourselves and others safe, but these masks often hide an important tool for social communication - our facial expressions, including smiling. And smiling has truly remarkable effects.

According to a study that took place in the UK - where researchers used electromagnetic brain scans and heart-rate monitors to generate what they called "mood-boosting values" for different stimuli - a smile emerged as giving participants the equivalent level of brain stimulation as up to 2,000 chocolate bars.

Harnessing this knowledge, Le Parc designed and developed a series of smiling masks to make their team smile, as well as those around them. 

The series was created in a “pop art” graphic style to exude a light natured and fun vibe, and features 4 different stylized smiling expressions for staff to choose from. The light colour and fabric was chosen to make the mask more comfortable in the summer season.

“Wearing a face mask conceals part of the face and therefore hides our expressions,” says Nathalie Cusson, Creative Director at Le Parc. “The smile is a powerful expression in communication - a social lubricant. In creating these masks, we wanted to playfully share a smile with our team and give them the ability to spark a moment of joy in their colleagues, friends, and loved ones.”

Le Parc was inspired by a cultural value identified by Juniper Park\TBWA’s strategy team,Open-Source Generosity: when resources are limited we become less worried about intellectual property and more open to intellectual generosity.

With this in mind, the studio is also making the designs of its smiling masks available for others to print and share with their family, friends, and colleagues.