Say It With Soap

This young company uses packaging, color and shapes to transform ordinary bath products into extraordinary gifts.

By Leah Genuario, Editor

The holidays have arrived. Instead of giving a traditional fruit basket or holiday bouquet, one company is offering a new alternative. Rare Brands has carved out a niche in the specialty gift market through the use of innovative soaps and clever packaging. Its line of products includes items such as Holiday Pot-Pourries, which are an aromatic bouquet of soaps, or Soap Salads, fruit-shaped soaps guaranteed not to rot.
Rare Brands started two years ago creating aromatic bath balls, which fizzle in water. The line has been extended to include a wide variety of gift items for the bath and shower. Items are generally purchased at spas and at resort and hospital gift shops.

What sets this company apart is its packaging, but that wasn’t always the case. “We started with the idea of having minimalist packaging,” said Adam Veale, co-owner of the Houston-based companies, adding that the idea was to spend money predominately on the product contents.
However, the company quickly changed direction. Along with high quality product, they came to realize they also needed high quality packaging. “We couldn’t sell stuff loose. We realized we had to be creative with the packaging. Our packages make a great gift,” said Veale.

Part of the allure is the soap shapes and colors. In the Pet Wave Soap line, for instance, the company offers whale and duck soap/sponge combinations. They also offer several lines of Soap Kebabs, all with bright, eye-catching colors.

The soaps paired with creative packaging complete the look. And sometimes, the best package is also the simplest. Its line of fizzing bath balls, Bathospheres, are now being housed in packages that look like egg cartons. And the Soap Kebabs are anchored on a skewer, shrink wrapped, and tied at either end with a bow. Veale added that sometimes the kebabs are displayed inside a grill at retail.

There are also small creative touches. The pots used for the Pot-Pourries are hand-painted.
Aside from the creative aspect, Rare Brands’ packaging also serves a very functional role. “Packaging is one of our biggest challenges in presenting the products. The packaging needs to be able to allow people to smell the fragrance,” said Veale. For that reason, many products utilize netting so that the soap’s fragrance comes through.

This year at Ex-Tracts, Rare Brands also presented a line of stackable products called Lavish Layers. Products in the line include a bath soak, milk bath, shower gel and body scrub. The four products come in a variety of colors. The stock bottles can be stacked on top of each other (the cap of the bottom bottle tucks into the base of the top bottle) and the idea is for customers to mix and match colors and products.
“The stackable layers are one of our better [packaging] ideas. I like it for the convenience and the originality,” said Veale. “It looks great in the bathroom too.”

Rare Brands has succeeded in taking everyday items and with the help of presentation and packaging, spinning them into something very special. “It’s no longer just a regular piece of soap,” said Veale, “It’s a gift item. It’s a different way to buy soap and it makes you smile.”

For more information on Rare Brands, call (281) 444-RARE or go to www.therareshop.com.