The Branding of Beauty – Part 3 of 3
The Branding of Beauty – part 3 of 3
And now we arrive at what I consider the most contemporary, and most interesting, driver for creating value in a beauty brand: the system of values around health and sustainability.
There’s no denying that the interest in health and sustainability is here to stay, and growing stronger by the day. Some examples of brands that have capitalized brilliantly on this values trend are:
Amore Pacific
One of the most coveted skincare brands in the world, Amore Pacific products are derived from ingredients such as green tea, ginseng and seaweed – all substances that are popular in the lexicon of health conscious affluent individuals all over the world. On their website you can find this key message in big type:
“Steeped in centuries of Korean heritage, Amore Pacific has unearthed the extraordinary skin-health benefits of Asian botanicals, channeling these ingredients into luxurious, high-performance anti-aging skin care.”
That statement literally hits every mark, combining functional excellence (in true “fountain of youth” fashion), origin story, narrative and health and sustainability values brilliantly. They leverage these beauty branding ingredients so well that a jar of their star product line – “Time Response” – commands a price tag of $500 US and up.
La Mer
The sea sells, ladies and gentleman. From the ancient Greeks to the beauty brands of today, the ocean and its profound symbolism, continues to fuel our imaginations. La Mer has capitalized on this in genius fashion with its skincare line, now owned by beauty superpower Estee Lauder.
Witness the following origin story statement that appears in all of their marketing materials:
“Inspired by the sea’s healing powers, aerospace physicist Dr. Max Huber began a personal quest to transform the look of his skin after suffering burns in a laboratory accident. He harvested kelp, selected for its endless ability to regenerate, and a legend of hope and perseverance began.”
You don’t get much better than that. Notice how beautifully they combined scientific expertise (he’s literally a rocket scientist), functional excellence and fountain of youth (“endless ability to regenerate”), and a powerful origin story that combines the notion of healing with that of beauty. And then of course the elegant packaging, sensual qualities of the product, and the incredibly imaginative store displays, featuring saltwater tanks filled with exotic multi-colored fish – complete the picture. And yes, intelligent, well-educated human beings will shell out astonishing sums for the privilege of becoming part of that story, one that merges psyche, skin and sea.
– W.