Branding in the digital age - Beauty was even busier in 2017 than
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design packaging
Branding in
the digital age
With digital now intrinsically interwoven into our lives, Nick Vaus reveals
the five beauty design principles that will make or break brands in 2018
B
eauty was even busier in 2017 than Convenience: She/he/zie wants it now. Anything
2016, with a fever pitch of launches, and everything to make beauty product
mergers and acquisitions, and consumption easier and faster.
innovations. Outlandish beauty fads Connection: From augmented reality to Alexa
aside (begone sculpted nose hair and influencers, integrating key technologies
extensions!), the old rulebook was finally ripped into beauty is business as usual.
up in 2017 – the one that put brands in control.
My agency gets to grips with the ugly truths PRINCIPLE 1: CLARITY
that hold brands back. It then overcomes Two of the most profound effects that digital has
these with smart, beautiful design and had on beauty consumer behaviours are the
communications. And the single most ugly truth shrinking of attention spans and a paradigm
for beauty brands in 2018 is that digital is now shift to visual, rather than verbal, content.
intrinsically interwoven into every single part of Gen Z consumers can focus for just eight
our daily lives. seconds and millennials for only 12 seconds.
Forget about omnichannel. I’m talking about Clarity and speed of messaging is everything.
digital shifting from a channel through which Beauty’s traditional design imperatives call for
people consume and communicate into calm, white space and simple lettering, but now
something manifestly different. Consumers standout typography, iconography, colours and
expect brands to deliver engaging experiences graphical devices should be matched with SCRUBD was among
that are relevant to them – whenever, however strong, simple language and messaging. the slew of men’s care
and wherever they want. The phone, the tablet, With digital comes ‘symbolic shorthand’ brands, also including
the wearable, the interactive display: digital is a communication. Emojification helps consumers Heath and MMUK, to
means to an end to solve problems, preferably quickly recognise brands by shape/mark in hit shelves in recent
immediately, or even before they arise. YouTube videos or in rows of retail thumbnails. months
In 2017, we saw Alexa, Google Assistant,
Cortana and Siri come of age, AI-enabled
chat bots became ubiquitous and
augmented reality fairly commonplace.
2018 will see digital as an attitude – one
that puts consumers in control and
fundamentally transforms how brands
need to look, feel and behave.
In an ever more complex and crowded
market, how can beauty brands respond to
this power shift? They have to think digital
first: from visual identity, packaging and
structure to language and behaviour. These
five beauty branding principles will help you
navigate a successful path:
Clarity: Absolute clarity of visual iconography
and message, which cuts through the noise with
visual and verbal focus.
Change: Gender is fluid, older is beautiful, men
wear make-up, personal is perfection – it’s all
about individuals expressing themselves.
Consciousness: With transparency comes
responsibility, from eco-friendly and recycling,
to halal and vegan.
March 2018 SP C 67
packaging design
Shiseido’s Recipist brand targets Japanese was listed on ASOS. Jecca, the first make-up DIGITAL PLAYED A
millennials with stylised black line drawings, and brand aimed at the transgender market also PIVOTAL ROLE IN
male grooming brand Lqd Skin Care runs with launched, and Meant and Context skin care are BREAKING DOWN
the international male symbol. both determinedly gender neutral. THE BARRIERS TO
Colours feature heavily in a graphic ‘bold in ‘Age neutrality’ is about a slew of passionate SELF-EXPRESSION,
block’ way. Milk’s transparent packaging lets the beauty brands and influencers putting a stop to
HELPING PEOPLE
coloured product shine through. Drunk the ‘only young is beautiful’ mantra. Allure
FIND THEIR OWN
Elephant, Shiseido’s Waso and Glossier use bold magazine banned the term ‘anti-ageing’. Brands
colour blocks for range navigation and wow like Studio 10 – led by powerhouse Grace Fodor
BEAUTY TRIBES
factor. Ombre block also figures heavily, – talk about ageless beauty. And Thandie AND ACCESSING
including Target’s C’est Moi and MAC’s Lunar Newton teamed up with RoC in a campaign that PERSONAL
New Year 2018 collection. tackles the backhanded ‘compliment’. BEAUTY
‘Standout shapes’ are also on the rise. Pat Catering to consumers’ ‘needs must’, PRODUCTS THAT
McGrath’s lip-decorated lipstick knocks spots off personalisation is going mainstream. Witness TRULY MET THEIR
conventional bullets. In Lâncome’s Limited hair care solutions from Function of Beauty and NEEDS
Edition French Temptation range, all products eSalon and skin care from Curology and Skin
are disguised as macarons in candy-hued Inc. In colour cosmetics, Shiseido’s MatchCo
graphic colour blocking, while CoverGirl’s acquisition now sees it offer custom foundations
Katy Kat liquid lip gloss has a cat-shaped cap via bareMinerals, and Eyeko provides an online
inspired by collaborator Katy Perry’s aesthetic. bespoke mascara service. Other brands are
‘Straight up, straightforward’ brand naming looking to more profound beauty needs such as
and language is also cutting the waffle. Think cancer – skin care range Même now partners
Tom Ford’s Fucking Fabulous fragrance, Fresh with Pierre Fabre for widespread distribution.
Meat’s Masculine Wipes – “to keep your meat
packing district fresh and clean anytime” – and PRINCIPLE 3: CONSCIOUSNESS
Frank Body’s combination of graphic symbols, Good and bad news travel fast in a digital world
block colouring and serious straight-talking to – it opens brands up to scrutiny on every aspect
promote its “skin care for the days you don’t of their business, from corporate culture and
want your legs... rougher than your environmental impact to ingredient sourcing. Ombre is part of
a trend for bold
last hangover”. Brands that aren’t transparent face challenges
colours and
or even boycotts – as NARS found out in 2017, clear visual
PRINCIPLE 2: CHANGE with swift and harsh consumer backlash after communication,
One of the best things in 2017 was the gradual animal testing in China was revealed. while Epara is
shattering of outdated stereotypes, and the ‘Clean and healthy’ is the name of the game one of several
positive embrace of individualism and diversity with digital consumers focused on the self – new brands
ushering in
in the beauty market. Digital played a pivotal from microbiomic skin care ranges like Mother
demand for
role in breaking down the barriers to Dirt and Gallinée through to elegant greater
self-expression, helping people find their own natural/organic ranges like RMS, Und Gretel, diversity
beauty tribes and accessing personal beauty Studio 78 and Ilia. The mass market is
products that truly met their needs. Ignore the following, with recent offerings from Unilever
following paradigm shifts at your peril – as like Love Beauty and Planet and
Tarte recently learnt with its foundation launch ApotheCARE Essentials.
of just 15, mostly pale, skin shades. Being ‘kind not cruel’ looks set to be a
The beauty industry is finally starting to baseline for younger consumers. But vegan
‘delight in diversity’, whether it’s mass-market and cruelty-free brands don’t look like they
brands with colours and formulations suitable belong in the health food shop any more –
for different races, religions and ethnicities, or with Kat Von D, Cover FX, Axiology and
emerging entrepreneurs doing it themselves. Spectrum all ‘Insta-trending’ with their
Pantene’s new Gold Series is one of the first cutting edge look.
mass ranges for textured/afro hair and Procter Beauty is always going to have a tricky
& Gamble’s hard-hitting video The Talk for its
My Black is Beautiful portal made serious
waves. Independent brands like EX1, Epara and
Charlotte Mensah – all pioneered by women of
colour – are starting to go mainstream.
For years, the oft-touted rise of men’s beauty
has been a false dawn, but 2017 saw its true
ascent, along with gender-neutral and
transgender-friendly brands in ‘gender begone’.
Male ambassadors turned out for CoverGirl,
Maybelline, Rimmel and L’Oréal. A slew of male
skin care ranges hit the shelves including
SCRUBD and Heath. MMUK male make-up
68 SP C March 2018
packaging design
problem with packaging, but the past year has must. Not only do consumers want to be
seen some great strides in ‘eco-sustainability’. entertained, they also want tangible benefits
P&G teamed up with recycling guru TerraCycle from their brand engagement. Whether that’s a
on the first recycled beach plastic bottle for Head hand in co-creation, insider news or enhanced
& Shoulders. Garnier, whose packaging is 50% product offerings, beauty brands must connect
post-recycled materials, teamed up with to their consumers in ever more ways.
DoSomething.org and YouTuber Remi Cruz on a That’s certainly the case with ‘technobeauty’
campaign to encourage beauty product recycling. tools and apps. Once a novelty factor, this has
In addition to what brands consist of and how become a meaningful way to engage with
they’re packaged, ‘purpose beyond profit’, or consumers. Neutrogena and FitSkin’s Skin360
the way brands behave, is vital. My agency uses app and SkinScanner lets users understand, The portable trend
The Soap Co. products in our cloakrooms – a address, and track their skin’s health. L’Oréal’s is evident in
non-profit British brand employing a workforce La Roche-Posay’s battery-free UV nail patch stackable
packaging from
that’s 80% blind or disabled. And for every monitors sun exposure and Foreo’s UFO device
brands like Trinny
Thrive Causemetics product purchased, another turns a 20-minute mask treatment into a London and on-the-
is donated to a woman going through cancer 90-second treat. go towelettes, such
treatment. Consumers love to look and feel Digital has also seen beauty ‘channelling as those from Ouai.
good through their purchases. Meaningful alternatives’. Innovative platforms include Fenty Beauty,
social sustainability is a key part of that. MyShowcase’s personal beauty shopper meanwhile, has
been cited as the
approach and Coty’s multi-make-up brand app
most coherent,
PRINCIPLE 4: CONVENIENCE Let’s Get Ready that’s on Amazon’s first Echo distinctive and
Digital has made everything so much quicker, device with a screen – the app suggests looks digital-first brand
resulting in beauty consumers who are more and gives users the ability to add products from launch of all time
impatient than ever to get faster, better results each look direct to their Alexa shopping list.
from their products. Plans can change or be The 21st century version of word of mouth
arranged on a whim, so beauty kits have to be via ‘diginfluencers’ cannot be understated.
more versatile. Whether it’s 3-in-1 products, Influencer marketing ROI is still subject to
gymbag-friendly formats or something that works debate, but it’s clear that consumers’ appetite
while you sleep, 2018 will see more all-round for the ‘cult of celebrity’ remains unabated. See
beauty products. 7-Eleven launched its own the success of standalones like Kylie Cosmetics
cosmetics line, testament to the importance of and Huda Beauty, or big collaborations like Gigi
convenience, and Benefit, Sephora and Essie Hadid x Maybelline, Kate Moss and Decorté
now have their own vending machines. and David Beckham’s House 99 and L’Oréal.
A key part of the K-beauty armory, ‘formats to Digital has also enabled direct ‘co-creativity’
go’ are now a must. In fragrance, there’s Jo with consumers, typified by Glossier, which uses
Loves Fragrance Paintbrushes and Chanel’s the Into the Gloss community for product
fragrance cushions. Towelette sachets for hair development, working off the insight that
abound, from Ouai’s Anti-Frizz sheets to IGK consumers know best what they want. Over in
Swipe Up Charcoal Dry Shampoo Hair Blotting mass market, Walgreens/Boots’ new range
Tissues. In cosmetics, Trinny London’s stacks YourGoodSkin also took a co-creation approach.
offer a sophisticated, elegant portable solution One final note: a brand that’s exceptionally
and ‘athbeauty’ offerings in portable sizes and conspicuous by its absence from this article is
water-free formulas also continue to proliferate. Rihanna’s Fenty Beauty, mainly because
‘Marvellous multi-purpose’ is about confining it to one of the five principles wouldn’t
lightweighting but getting more bang for your do it justice. Never has a brand launched with
buck. In men’s grooming, Bröö Craft Beer Bars such a coherent, distinctive, digital-first identity
work on the hair, body, face and beard. and personality that also hits inclusive notes
Unilever’s new instant shower mousses – across (ageism and sizeism aside). From
several brands – are for washing and shaving. unique hexagonal
Walgreens’ new CYO range features packaging with 100%
multi-purpose products including Take The cruelty-free products
Threeway Eyeshadow, Liner & Mascara. launched alongside
Finally, ‘timesaving treasures’ help consumers 30-plus YouTube videos,
shave time off of their beauty regimes. Aveeno Fenty has set a new beauty
makes facial treatment a breeze with its 60 brand standard. I can’t wait
Second In-Shower Facial product, while Credo to see how other beauty
has revolutionised lash application with reusable brands shape up for this
magnetic lashes that click on in an instant. 2018 beauty pentathlon
PRINCIPLE 5: CONNECTION Author
From augmented reality to leveraging the Nick Vaus,
Nick Vaus,Dew Gibbons + +
DewGibbons
power of digital/social influencers: integrating Partners
Partners
technology into ‘beauty business as usual’ is a w w w.dew gibbons.com
www.dewgibbons.com
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