Seymourpowell has co-founded a new brand, Bac<, with aim of Advancing Back Care, and has designed its first range of innovative products that help to target back pain.
Developed and manufactured in the UK and retailing exclusively in Boots stores, bac< is initially launching a range of four consumer medical device products that relieve and treat back pain, with more products in the pipeline. The products being released include a back brace with cool pads, sacroiliac belt, shoulder brace, and back massager.
"People are often uncomfortable wearing and being seen wearing this category of product, so we rejected the orthopedic, low value approach seen so often in existing products," commented Matthew Cockerill, Seymourpowell Associate Design Director. "While performance and cost were quite rightly key drivers in the development of these products, equally as important for us was creating a look and feel in the products that would bring dignity back to the wearer during an often difficult time for them while they manage their back pain."
Teaming up with Harley Street's The London Spine Clinic, brand consultancy Ziggurat Brands and former UK Marketing Director for SSL International /Reckitt Benckiser Mark Critchley, the four co-founders of bac< bring decades of experience from their respective fields to the problem of back pain.
The bac< system comprises of the Neck in Zone 1, the Shoulder in Zone 2, the Middle Back in Zone 3, the Central Lower Back in Zone 4, and the Lateral Lower Back in Zone 5.
The primary challenge dictating the design process was to create products that are easily-understandable as part of the bac< system. This allows consumers to select the most appropriate product for their needs that works effectively, and that makes the user take positive steps to improve their back.
The result is a range of back products that embody a modern aesthetic, yet portray a quality-assured medical product that is easy to wear and functions effectively. Manufactured in the UK, the products use the type of process normally found in high-end sports equipment.
Key innovation features include hot and cold pads used in conjunction with the back brace that allow the user to further target the source of pain in a convenient manner. The back massager incorporates a replaceable, self-lubricating massager head that allows just the right amount of massage lotion to be automatically dispensed as the product is being used. This design currently has a patent pending.