DR. Beauty IS IN

I have undertaken a design diagnosis of the role of the doctor brand within today’s beauty landscape. Is this doctor trend in name only or is there a return to a more ethical branding of beauty, indicative of an evolving cosmetic language?What role does language play in the future development of this category?

Diagnosing Doctor Brands

I can appreciate that most brands are reinforcing the medical connotations and nature of their product by opting for clinical, clean packaging to successfully marry the product and packaging. But what is differentiating the products? Maybe this prompts a question about the role of naming within packaging design.

For example, would the Hauschka brand be as successful as the Dr. Hauschka brand has become? It would seem by the plethora of doctor brands appearing on our shelves that today’s consumer is not just looking for signifiers of brand trust but for a more obvious and authoritative statement of ethical reassurance and expertise. It is apparent that the typographical and naming element of package design is the key to the success of this new marketplace.

Let’s reference one of the new niche brands as an example. There is a bubbling of consumer and media excitement about what could become one of Norway’s greatest cosmetic exports.Famed for his cream for lactating mothers, Dr. Lipp skin salve is now being used for other areas of problem dry skin and marketed as a wonder treatment for cracked and chapped lips. This is not a glamorously marketed product and the matte grey tube does little to promote its desirability, but maybe it doesn’t need to.Maybe superficial or clever graphics would detract from the key message that the brand needs to convey?Dr. Lipp’s signature is up to ten times as big as the “original nipple cream” product name below it. How more reassuring and trusted could a product be than one formulated by a respected doctor and successfully used by mothers who are breastfeeding? The signature is the undisputed stamp of credibility and signals that we are actually buying into the personal expertise and persona of the doctor behind the brand.

Whether or not they are directly named, many of this new breed has a real-life expert behind them. Dr. Sebagh, Dr. Brandt and Dr. Perricone are not just beauty brand owners, but they are also practicing cosmetic dermatologists.

I reiterate that consumers are buying into a definitive and ethical expertise cemented by a name. We must not underestimate the power of naming and language, but when it comes to branding and brand design, is stamping a name on a product enough to maintain consumer interest and desire on a long-term basis? How do cosmetic brands manage the evolving nature of the beauty language?

The New World of “Ceuticals”

I am seeing the rise of the doctor brand developing into a bigger trend for a more ‘cosmetic medical’ language; the language of the new “’ceuticals” category.

We have been hearing about the world of nutraceuticals for some time, but what about “Androceuticals”? Menscience Androceuticals claim to be high performance men’s skincare products. Are these products better than other male grooming ranges? They may be and we are led to believe (from the marketing) that they are because they are Androceuticals. However, I find that the packaging should better communicate to us what androceuticals are.

Similarly, we have also seen the arrival of “Smileceuticals”. GoSmile Smileceuticals Elixir (formulated by a dentist) has coined this nomenclature.Packaged in a small, brushed silver atomizer, this product appears more premium than a regular mouth freshener. Its packaging reminds me of Prevage anti-aging treatment, from the cosmeceutical partnership between Elizabeth Arden and Allergan, the maker of Botox.Whether it’s a “Smileceutical” or a cosmeceutical, both products fall within the ‘ceuticals category. Although one is for the mouth and one is for the skin, the packaging looks similar and perhaps makes the differentiated naming somewhat irrelevant.

The Future Beauty Language

Designing with copy in mind has become an important part of driving a communication idea. Creating a beauty language has to be done carefully because the consumer needs to understand and buy into it. It must convey key messages via the right medium, whether that be a written or a visual language.

Naming alone may no longer be good enough. Naming is an integral part of packaging design and we need to look at it as part of a holistic design process, and not in isolation, to create the most visually desirable brand solutions and fulfill human needs on all levels (not just an ethical level) to create long-term desire.