LONDON, UK – Luxury skincare brand Erno Laszlo elevated its position as a pioneer in the wellness skincare space through a new brand identity and positioning. Developed by creative agency Free The Birds, established experts in the beauty industry, the partnership came at a time when Erno Laszlo was growing its presence across North America, Europe and Asia.
With Erno Laszlo’s strong heritage in dermatology and psycho-cosmetology, Free The Birds evolved the brand’s luxury positioning as part of a 360 project that involved redesigned front-line packaging, digital marketing templates, photographic assets and the introduction of a brand ambassador program all designed to have equal allure for both devotee and new consumers.
As part of the brand’s focus on the science of skin and mental wellbeing, Free The Birds refined its portfolio into skin concern pillars. The new brand architecture consists of a complete naming strategy of the core collections as well as a reinvigorated color strategy that follows the skincare category semiotics for various skin types (e.g., orange represents brightening and blue is linked to dry skin/hydration). The new packaging brought synergy across the product ranges and a focus on specific skin needs while improving navigation within the brand’s online and offline environments.
The visual identity is further elevated by bringing a new brand device “I” to the foreground of the packaging to reflect the brand’s focus on the ‘i’ndividual user and self-care. The distinctive graphic element emphasized the brand idea of “science of skin and mind” and was implemented across all touchpoints including packaging, physical spaces, websites and social media.
Emily Mills, Account Director at Free The Birds, shared: “We created a global brand identity that embodies and enshrines the unique approach to skincare of Erno Laszlo. It’s a reflection of our ability to understand the different demands of the US and Chinese markets and create design and communications which are compatible with both.”
To fully reflect Erno Laszlo’s heritage in the skincare industry, Free The Birds also organized and executed high-end photography shoots to leverage the new brand identity. Working with two photographers – a product and a model one, the creative agency managed the one-week shoot to include assets of the actual products from textures through to ingredients, application of the skincare products, as well as before-and-after visuals on a diverse range of models and skin types.
The result of the shoot was 80 images and a photography guidelines package that Erno Laszlo can follow in local markets, to create consistency across campaigns and maintain a cohesive brand identity.
Marla Stough, Creative Director at Erno Laszlo, commented: “We continue to evolve and grow at Erno Laszlo, and with this we are engaging with new customers all over the world. Our new direction balances our Doctor founded heritage with our mission to lead with Science of Skin Since 1927. The partnership with Free The Birds brought together a new photography style and direction for Erno Laszlo, to emphasize our luxury position while elevating our scientific credentials and we focus on addressing the skincare needs of each and every individual.”
To strengthen the brand’s online first platform, Free The Birds also supported the creation of Erno Laszlo’s Brand Ambassador program, which supports customers and beauty industry experts in delivering a high touch ‘one to one’ shopping experience. The creative agency was tasked with designing the web page, email formats, and sub-brand personality with a unique color palette that links to the master brand identity.
Nick Vaus, Partner and Creative Director at Free the Birds, said this about the project: “As specialists within beauty, we understood the semiotics of the category instantly. It’s been a fascinating exercise applying these visual cues down to a luxury level, reinforcing the brand’s credentials in a way that appeals to new consumers. We’re looking forward to developing the partnership further as Erno Laszlo looks at new markets and categories.”
