12.02.11
‘The Best a Man Can Get’
Does this iconic strapline hold true when it comes to today’s male personal care packaging design?
“The best a man can get” is a strapline made famous the world over by male grooming giant Gillette. But is Gillette—and other famous male grooming icons—really delivering the best it can through its packaging design?
Overall, the beauty sector traditionally paints a polarized picture, and this is also now the case when we look at the evolving male grooming sector. At one end, we have new formulation male products with bold and challenger design from a new breed of artisan, own-label and indie brands. But at the other, the brand giants—the icons who, ironically, first established and directed the male grooming category—are still primarily promulgating a dated (not retro), stereotypical and largely uniform fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) look.
It is at once an active and latent market, and to retain the recognition (and sales success) they deserve, the icons need to revisit their positioning and just what message—and story—they are telling.
What’s the Story?
From the launch of Mr Porter to Touche Éclat for men, the level of innovation and new product development for the male market per se shows no sign of slowing down. While we may feel that these launches are addressing a particular type and class of man, at least they are trying to actively address the new needs, desires and diversity of the male consumer. Many of the brand leaders, on the other hand, are still churning out the same design—or same-y designs—that are not necessarily keeping pace with the changing face of society.
“Male grooming promotions have dropped away significantly, with several top brands showing a marked decline in deals…most notably Gillette, Right Guard and Adidas” (Source: The Grocer, Aug 2011).
But what do men want? They do not want to buy into an overtly feminine looking product, but neither do many want the rigid, macho and one-dimensional offer that formed the basis of the traditional male beauty communication and which so many of our best-known—and previously best-loved—brands continue to peddle.
Recent research reports state the increase in numbers of the male shopper—both online and in “real retail.” In everything from craft beer to artisan chocolate, men are buying into the brand narrative and individual approach through a new and more personality-driven design approach that meets cultural, social and personal values.
For example, men are just as interested in social and environmental impact as their female counterparts, and many new male grooming brands are harnessing this. The award-winning Bulldog has been much cited, but is still a great example of a brand that uses design to promote its range of natural products through strength, character and intelligence. The story is clear: Natural is strong not sissy and this brand is naturally passionate and powerful.
Like Bulldog, new range Himistry boasts a name that brooks no argument as to whom it is targeting or its power. The design is also at once strong and simple, but opts for cleaner and gentler color choices and pared down graphics that make the brand open to personal interpretation and narrative. At the other extreme, The Bluebeard’s Revenge still uses the metallic blue and silver perhaps more reminiscent of some of our FMCG brands, but the name not only taps in to the man and boy craze for all things pirate but is also humorous with a range dedicated to shaving and the tough “blue beard” stubble that’s never easily removed by razors.
All three brands are significantly different in their approach, but all share the common strategy that they are resolvedly telling their own story—or remaining open to personal interpretation—through the medium of their design communication and aesthetic.
How Men Buy Beauty
The media has been touching on the concept of a bespoke beauty retail environment for men or a beauty “manshop” for a while. And, to an extent, this is now starting to happen. Ubiquitous drug store operator CVS Caremark and the world’s largest consumer company P&G have just announced a partnership to create a prototype shopping experience for men called the Guy Aisle. The Guy Aisle will start to appear in select locations across the U.S., and will include some of P&G’s billion-dollar brands such as Old Spice and Gillette.
While some may point a finger and say it is just another attempt for the brand giants to control how, where and when we shop, there is no denying that it is a future-focused and shrewdly strategic tactic. But, what is interesting is that P&G will be packing the shelves with their brands. And focusing the shopper’s attention in this way can surely only highlight the contrast between the brand design development and persona of two of the leading brands from the P&G portfolio: Gillette and Old Spice.
You Are Not a Gadget
Gillette was established in 1895, so the heritage and expertise of shaving technology speaks for itself. And while it very probably is “the best a man can get,” the narrative across the board—be it for one- or five-blade technology— focuses on analogies with speed, power and performance in a hackneyed way—focusing on swooshes and flashes with each new product and design looking much like the next. We have become a gadget-centric society and as much as we may love our gadgets or our Top Gear, it does not mean that this is the only narrative we will buy into.
The new artisan brands, and particularly the increase in barber brands such as The Gentlemen’s Refinery, reflect the desire for heritage, skill, craft and expertise, which are all attributes that our icons hold in the palms of their hands and could be using and promoting to better advantage.
Gillette is not seizing the opportunity to fully tell and realize its all-important story and use its iconic heritage and visual equity to develop its future positioning in this increasingly competitive marketplace.
Iconic brands such as Gillette—and maybe Imperial Leather and Hugo Boss, as well—have a quality and long-standing charm that few can match. But they can’t just stand still and rest on their iconic laurels. The dilemma for these brands is not just how to refresh their allure and stay focused on their brand truth but also how they can answer new moral and cultural needs.
It is about the past but not staying in the past—just looking back to move forward. It’s about tapping into and cherishing the right part of the visual brand equity. The part of the visual brand equity that taps into and expresses our deepest feelings and inspires the essential love and connection in the consumer that icons need to survive and grow.
Icons—Past and Present
Maybe there are plans in the pipeline for Gillette? And we are not knocking P&G. P&G has already insurmountably proved their global and iconic leader status with the revival of male fragrance Old Spice and the new Fresh Collection of grooming products.
“Its manly scent is barely contained within the badass bone-colored packaging—designed with our illustrations of badass sharks and bears. ‘Fresh’ is the opposite of‘Old.’ And ‘mentally retreating to an exotic tropical beach via something you rubbed on your armpits’ is the opposite of ‘musky.’ ” (Source: Landor.com)
The brand name and visual equity still remain but are brought up to date when blended with a touch of humor into the new range—a humor reflected in the complementary and multi-award winning social media and advertising campaign: “The Man Your Man Could Smell Like.”
What made it a success was its new approach to rejuvenating an old brand. Its idealistic stance means the brand suddenly became alluring to young and old alike in a unisex way. And the social media element of the campaign meant that the brand message quickly became a brand conversation, back and forth, across multiple platforms and media—all telling the story from the start point of the packaging. And, according to brand owner Procter & Gamble, after its initial launch, the campaign increased Old Spice sales by 27% over six months.
Most icons were once challengers and a truly iconic brand should never stop challenging because the reason people love it is because of what it stands for. It challenges because it believes something very strongly and strongly represents this—and tells its story—through its brand identity and design.
About the Author
Jonathan Ford is a designer and Creative Partner of Pearlfisher - www.pearlfisher.com
Does this iconic strapline hold true when it comes to today’s male personal care packaging design?
The award-winning Bulldog conveys a clear message: Natural is strong not sissy. |
Overall, the beauty sector traditionally paints a polarized picture, and this is also now the case when we look at the evolving male grooming sector. At one end, we have new formulation male products with bold and challenger design from a new breed of artisan, own-label and indie brands. But at the other, the brand giants—the icons who, ironically, first established and directed the male grooming category—are still primarily promulgating a dated (not retro), stereotypical and largely uniform fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) look.
It is at once an active and latent market, and to retain the recognition (and sales success) they deserve, the icons need to revisit their positioning and just what message—and story—they are telling.
What’s the Story?
From the launch of Mr Porter to Touche Éclat for men, the level of innovation and new product development for the male market per se shows no sign of slowing down. While we may feel that these launches are addressing a particular type and class of man, at least they are trying to actively address the new needs, desires and diversity of the male consumer. Many of the brand leaders, on the other hand, are still churning out the same design—or same-y designs—that are not necessarily keeping pace with the changing face of society.
Himistry targets men with a strong yet simple design. |
But what do men want? They do not want to buy into an overtly feminine looking product, but neither do many want the rigid, macho and one-dimensional offer that formed the basis of the traditional male beauty communication and which so many of our best-known—and previously best-loved—brands continue to peddle.
Recent research reports state the increase in numbers of the male shopper—both online and in “real retail.” In everything from craft beer to artisan chocolate, men are buying into the brand narrative and individual approach through a new and more personality-driven design approach that meets cultural, social and personal values.
For example, men are just as interested in social and environmental impact as their female counterparts, and many new male grooming brands are harnessing this. The award-winning Bulldog has been much cited, but is still a great example of a brand that uses design to promote its range of natural products through strength, character and intelligence. The story is clear: Natural is strong not sissy and this brand is naturally passionate and powerful.
Bluebeard’s Revenge uses a traditional metallic blue and silver palette, but its pirate theme and humor regarding stubble make it stand out. |
All three brands are significantly different in their approach, but all share the common strategy that they are resolvedly telling their own story—or remaining open to personal interpretation—through the medium of their design communication and aesthetic.
How Men Buy Beauty
New barber brands such as The Gentlemen’s Refinery, reflect the desire for heritage, skill, craft and expertise. |
While some may point a finger and say it is just another attempt for the brand giants to control how, where and when we shop, there is no denying that it is a future-focused and shrewdly strategic tactic. But, what is interesting is that P&G will be packing the shelves with their brands. And focusing the shopper’s attention in this way can surely only highlight the contrast between the brand design development and persona of two of the leading brands from the P&G portfolio: Gillette and Old Spice.
You Are Not a Gadget
Gillette was established in 1895, so the heritage and expertise of shaving technology speaks for itself. And while it very probably is “the best a man can get,” the narrative across the board—be it for one- or five-blade technology— focuses on analogies with speed, power and performance in a hackneyed way—focusing on swooshes and flashes with each new product and design looking much like the next. We have become a gadget-centric society and as much as we may love our gadgets or our Top Gear, it does not mean that this is the only narrative we will buy into.
The new artisan brands, and particularly the increase in barber brands such as The Gentlemen’s Refinery, reflect the desire for heritage, skill, craft and expertise, which are all attributes that our icons hold in the palms of their hands and could be using and promoting to better advantage.
Gillette is not seizing the opportunity to fully tell and realize its all-important story and use its iconic heritage and visual equity to develop its future positioning in this increasingly competitive marketplace.
Iconic brands such as Gillette—and maybe Imperial Leather and Hugo Boss, as well—have a quality and long-standing charm that few can match. But they can’t just stand still and rest on their iconic laurels. The dilemma for these brands is not just how to refresh their allure and stay focused on their brand truth but also how they can answer new moral and cultural needs.
It is about the past but not staying in the past—just looking back to move forward. It’s about tapping into and cherishing the right part of the visual brand equity. The part of the visual brand equity that taps into and expresses our deepest feelings and inspires the essential love and connection in the consumer that icons need to survive and grow.
Icons—Past and Present
Maybe there are plans in the pipeline for Gillette? And we are not knocking P&G. P&G has already insurmountably proved their global and iconic leader status with the revival of male fragrance Old Spice and the new Fresh Collection of grooming products.
“Its manly scent is barely contained within the badass bone-colored packaging—designed with our illustrations of badass sharks and bears. ‘Fresh’ is the opposite of‘Old.’ And ‘mentally retreating to an exotic tropical beach via something you rubbed on your armpits’ is the opposite of ‘musky.’ ” (Source: Landor.com)
The brand name and visual equity still remain but are brought up to date when blended with a touch of humor into the new range—a humor reflected in the complementary and multi-award winning social media and advertising campaign: “The Man Your Man Could Smell Like.”
What made it a success was its new approach to rejuvenating an old brand. Its idealistic stance means the brand suddenly became alluring to young and old alike in a unisex way. And the social media element of the campaign meant that the brand message quickly became a brand conversation, back and forth, across multiple platforms and media—all telling the story from the start point of the packaging. And, according to brand owner Procter & Gamble, after its initial launch, the campaign increased Old Spice sales by 27% over six months.
Most icons were once challengers and a truly iconic brand should never stop challenging because the reason people love it is because of what it stands for. It challenges because it believes something very strongly and strongly represents this—and tells its story—through its brand identity and design.
About the Author
Jonathan Ford is a designer and Creative Partner of Pearlfisher - www.pearlfisher.com
