Going Beyond Black & White

Opportunity abounds for brands that break away from the stereotypical men’s packaging palette.

By Jonathan Ford, Pearlfisher

Gender stereotyping by color starts from birth: pink for girls and blue for boys. I’d like to think that this is now an outdated styling, but actually, we’re now also applying it to adults. If we split the beauty sector by gender, then the female shelves are alive with color and personality; not just pink, but lots of color—and visual innovation—make this a truly groundbreaking and forward-thinking sector, which always gives me something fresh and new to write about in these columns.

But male grooming is a different story. It’s black and white, black and white and black and white…and just to break the monotony, maybe a hint of gray. With just a few notable exceptions, the overall look of this sector has not significantly moved on for about five years or so. Why? The marketplace overall is demanding a greater level of choice and diversity and while the amount of choice hitting the shelves in terms of makeup, eye firmers and self-tanners can not be faulted, where is the diversity? Where is the color? Could color be a way to really shake up the male grooming category and create meaningful difference?

Painting by Number

Let’s look at it in more detail. This sector has traditionally been a bit formulaic—a bit like painting by number. White equals skin care and black (and/or gray) is classic, yet sophisticated and distinctly male. This monochromatic trend was started by brands such as Clinique and Lab Series and, at the time of their arrival on shelf, was a very different route to the look and approach promulgated by the likes of Gillette and Lynx.

Any injection of color seems to be electric blue. Even supposedly cool newcomers such as Zirh and Jack Black have plumped for this option. Well, blue for a boy and electric blue presumably because it’s just that bit more energetic and exciting? But, we are still stereotyping, still badging men and beauty, still churning out lots of copycat designs, putting men into boxes and into the same looking boxes. And just in case we don’t recognize the color cues, many brands have also felt the need to reinforce the fact that these products are “for men,” “for him,” “pour homme.”

Okay, hands up, maybe we need more simplicity and straight-talking than women—who operate on a hundred different levels and understand subtleties better than us—but brands are then reinforcing their male targeting even further by using icons and analogies associated with speed, power and performance. Lab Series has recently brought out a new Lab Series for Men Power Wash and Kenzo, a new Kenzo KenzoPower fragrance. In fact, what sort of man are you? Is drinking your thing? Kenzo KenzoPower comes in a fragrance flask inspired by a sake bottle. Do you buy into movie iconography? Givenchy’s new Pi Neo fragrance plays with the limits of time, space and matter, and is inspired by the movie “The Matrix.” Or, if tattoos really do it for you, then check out Christian Audigier’s Ed Hardy Ed Hardy Men with its vintage tattoo-inspired picture.

Brighter Futures

The fragrance sector has always given itself more license to be different, and although glass, chrome and brand badging are still prevalent in men’s fragrance, it’s hats off to Christian Audigier for taking a brand new tack with his jet black canister and the striking red and yellow tiger image. Color and pictures are new devices, but this offering is still playing it safe with traditional male imagery and colors and a very prescriptive “macho man” message.

Yes, we look to brands for inspiration, but we are not necessarily—and not always—looking for a mass and prescriptive macho communication, which still seems to be the chosen route for the majority of brands operating in this sector.

Brands need to remember that we chest-beating, performance-driven, macho men kick-started this whole male grooming movement by being attracted to our wives’ and girlfriends’ products. And surely the success of notable unisex brands—the vivid orange of MOP and the oranges and azures of Murad—bears testament to the fact that we are not afraid of color and touches of femininity.

Give us some credit. I’m speaking generally I know—and perhaps arrogantly on behalf of all mankind—but we are quite obviously more into fashion and style and color than we have ever been. How many of us now own pink shirts and ties? If anything, a kind of reverse psychology is at play. Rather than revealing our feminine side, wearing pink is a way of reinforcing our masculinity. We are not saying, however, that it’s as simple as brands just giving us pink packaging, but rather appreciating that we are as chameleon-like as our female counterparts in terms of our different tastes, moods and sensibilities, and nothing in our world is just black and white.

Design does, of course, need to work holistically with the brand in question, and it’s not as simple as just adopting a color. Brand owners must also not underestimate the power of the right color used in the right way to make a difference. We have all, to varying degrees, submitted to the pressure of the “green” movement and this, in turn, has brought natural and organic brands to our shelves in an expected palette of earthy and neutral tones from brands such as Korres. The color conveys the meaning. And color codes do exist; in other sectors, certain brands such as Cadburys and Coca-Cola are instantly recognizable by their color. The color itself provides enough of a message and association regardless of brand name or product. And the learning that this sector could take is that emotive aesthetics are more open to individual interpretation and appreciation and can target and attract a wider audience than some of the more gimmicky and blatant messaging.

Not Just for Girls

An interest in color is slowly starting to gather momentum. Biotherm’s new Recharge range is red—a creative and bold step for the brand although red is not new to this sector with old faithfuls such as Old Spice, which has been using red to convey physical activity since way back when. It’s a good step forward, but I feel that the field really is wide open for a brand to take the lead here.

In my opinion, there is only one brand that has truly started to break the mold. Ole Henriksen allows its natural products to speak for themselves with clear bottles and jars, but every product has a bold and brightly colored label that provides an amazing contrast to the clear pot and signature black top. Structurally, the men’s range also uses jars and bottles more usually seen within the female sector. The new Men’s Kit brings elements of the range together and the products do not need to blatantly offer strength when together, the range looks so strong and different on shelf.

We want to smell good and look good, we (among other things) want clean and fresh and classic and strong; but this doesn’t have to mean safe and bland and boring and samey. Color gives you confidence and it’s about having the confidence to assert yourself as the definitive one. It is time for male grooming brands to look at how they can be innovative with color, and embrace new challenging and creative routes to stand up for who they are and offer us diversity and new levels of meaning.