Gillette Rebrand
© 2014 BRIAN XIAO All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission of the copyright owners. Every effort has been made to ensure that credits accurately comply with information supplied. We apologize for any inaccuracies that may have occurred and will resolved inaccurate or missing information in a subsequent reprinting of the book. FIRST PRINTED IN THE UN ITED STATES OF AMERICA IN 2014 BY Brian Xiao 3303 White Cloud Dr. Hacienda Heights, California 91745 TELEPHONE: (626) 228 - 7697 EMAIL: bx@brianxiao.com WWW.BRIANXIAO.COM PACKAGING 2 UN DER THE IN STRUCTION OF AN IA BORYSIEWICZ FINAL PRODUCT PHOTOGRAPHY: JAMES CHOU TYPEFACES: AKZIDENZ GROTESK NEXT BINDING: BRIAN XIAO PRINTING: ART CENTER COLLEGE OF DESIGN
Gillette Rebrand Brian Xiao Spring 2014 Packaging II under the instruction of Ania Borysiewicz
03
Table of Contents Introduction
Research
Brand Development
Form Development
010 About Gillette Shaving 012 History of Gillette
016 Logo Analysis 020 Competitive Research 022 Packaging Analysis 024 Case Studies 030 Experiment
032 Mind Mapping 034 Interviews 037 Concept 044 Target Demographic 048 Logo development 056 Typography 060 Graphic Development
066 Phase 1 074 Phase 2 078 Phase 3 082 Phase 4
Conclusions 094 Semi final presentation 098 Razor & Handle Packaging 100 Packaging Extensions 102 Photoshoot 104 Final Packaging
Introduction
However, Gillette’s brand has now become cliche and generic, and does not reflect the stability
Gillette products are often more expensive than other shaving brands because they claim to use higher end, better quality parts that are more reliable and last longer.
The Gillette Company, founded in 1901 by King Gillette is one of the oldest makers of safety razors. Now, they mainly make manual razors, some of which are motorized, with disposable blade cartridges.
It is important to create better brand perception, as Gillette’s products claim to be nicer than those of their competitors.
and equity that such an old brand should have.
11
1901
Gillette introduces an adjustable razor with three settings for light, medium and heavy beards.
1957
Helvetica designed in Switzerland by Max Miedinger
1957
Yoshitada Minami invents the electric rice cooker
1956
Percy Spencer invents microwave oven
1947
Gillette introduces the first blade dispenser, the Gillette Blue Blade Dispenser, and eliminates the need to unwrap blades.
1946
King C. Gillette invents the safety razor with disposable blades.
World War II begins
1939
World War I begins
1914
Ford Motor Company invents Model T
1908
The History of
1971
Gillette introduces Gillette Fusion ProGlide shaving systems. The shaving technology of Gillette Fusion Pro Glide includes blades with thinner, finer blade edges.
2010
Gillette launches the Gillette Fusion shaving system with manual and power razors. They are the first to feature blades both on the front and back of the blade cartridge.
2005
Gillette’s MACH3 shaving system, the first triple-blade shaving system, breaks the performance barrier.
1998
Sir Tim Berners-Lee invents the World Wide Web
1990
Gillette introduces Atra, the first razor with a pivoting head.
1977
Apple Computer founded by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak
1976
Gillette introduces Trac II, the first twin-blade shaving system.
Iraq War begins
2003
End of apartheid in South Africa
1994
the Gillette Safety Razor
Research
Current Logo Breakdown I actually don’t mind how the terminal of the G and the dot of the i share that characteristic. However, it doesn’t work well with all of the other strokes and angles in the typeface. Why is this typeface italic? What would that mean? Maybe it is personal opinion, but I find oblique sans logos quite tacky.
The terminals of the e’s. They’re chaotic. The letters slant at one angle, the terminals of the G and i slant at another, and here, the terminals of the e’s give another angle. I feel as if the logo is cutting itself apart. How can I trust their razors not to cut me if I feel that the logo can barely keep together? Overall, the weight is much too heavy. It feels rough and unrefined. Was this really an improvement over their old logo?
1
2 3
17
Current Logo Breakdown (con’t) This is Gillette’s old logo from 1903. I can see how the redesign made it more polished; this is a very rough unrefined logo.
would be unable to tell what kind of company they were. Not that brand recognition is a problem to be solved; everyone knows who Gillette is.
However, the change to a heavy oblique sans stripped the mark of any personality.
However, there is warmth to this old mark that their current one sorely lacks. This logo may not be perfect, but it has infinitely more charm.
Despite clues such as a chopped off terminal on the G and i, if I did not know what Gillette was, I
Gillette needs some of that charm again.
Competitive Research Gillette’s competiros include companies like Parker, Bic, Schick, Merkur, and Feather. Bic is a manufacturor of disposable products such as pens. Most of their razors are the disposable kind that come in a cheap 10 pack.
Where can I find Gillette? I can’t tell them apart from all the other brands. Merkur is a German manufacturer of ultra-high end double edged razors. Parker is known for their pricy luxury fountain pens, and like Merkur, is an ultra high end manufacturer.
Feather is a brand of razors in Japan. They create extremely expensive double edged razors as well as disposable and midrange manual razors. They cater to the Japanese market. Shick is Gillette’s closest competitor. Like Gillette, Schick creates manual mid-range razors that may also be battery powered. They also make disposable cartridges and pre/post shave products. Compared to Gillette, Schick’s products look ultra modern and sleek. They’re more spaceship looking than actual razors! They use themes of green, and water and waves.
Gillette’s product line is nice in that they have many razors with varying degrees of closeness and price. Just within their category of manual, powered razors, they have 6 or 7 different ones that apparently shave differently. It’s too bad I have no idea how they’re different from one another.
They really seem to be trying to say their razors are the most gentle and the most comfortable. in terms of personality, I may even venture to say that Schick feels slightly effeminate! Gillette’s product line is large. While Schick has a lineup that caters to both men and women, Gillette has an even bigger lineup that only caters to men. 21
Analysis: Current Packaging It’s quite clear that Gillette needs an update. From the competitor analysis, I’ve concluded that it is too difficult to tell Gillette apart from other brand such as Schick, Bic, and Old Spice.
Clamshell packaging is difficult to open. It is clumsy to look at, and I nearly cut my hand trying to get the razor out.
The graphic language notwithstanding, there are
Razor packaging should not cut your hand. The brand promises that the razor will not cut you. How can I believe that, if the packaging hurts me?
I nearly cut my hand trying to get the razor out.
I feel the aftershave and razor cartridges are overpackaged. The bottle of the aftershave, and the dispensers that the blades come in are quite nice. But why are they encased in such an ugly box?
also many issues with the forms themselves. The most egregious is that of the razor itself.
The typography is also quite cluttered on all of the packaging. Why is there a big G icon with the title on top? It is not their logo, yet, it takes up alot of space and is distracting.
Gillette wants to be higher end than other brands. They say they use materials that are of better quality. However, I don’t get that at all from this cheap clamshell packaging.
Why are there so many colors? Why is the type so busy? These things do not instill any sense of confidence in me. Gillette is better than this.
Case Study: Selling Emotion Coca-Cola Coca Cola is a brand that Gillette can learn from. Coca Cola is a very old brand, even older than Gillette. Their product has not changed at all, yet they still manage to stay relevant in this day and age. Their brand message is not about their product. Instead, their message is the idea of selling happiness itself.
I think that this is an idea that Gillette can use. Like Coke, Gillette razor is a very old brand that has not changed too much in the past hundred years. There is only so far that a company can develop technology for a simple product like a razor. I think Gillette can, like CocaCola, transcend their product. Like how CocaCola sells happiness, Gillette could be a brand that sells trust.
In all points of customer contact, Coca Cola reinforces ideas of delight and spontaneity. Removing itself even further from its own product, Coca Cola even came out last month with a health conscious campaign that acknowledges that their product is bad for the American Public.
25
Case Study: Consistency Ford Motor Company I do not like Ford’s cars. But I admire their brand very much. Like Gillette, Ford is an old company whose name connects it to the inventor of the product. Ford’s brand works because, in over 70 years, their logo, messaging, and tagline has almost not changed at all.
A new brand must feel like a callback that connects Gillette to its own beginnings. There must be a compelling story that lasts throughout its history. Only then can Gillette instill a sense of long term value that consumers can trust.
This is how a brand could build trust. Gillette has done a bad job in the past from changing campaigns and slogans. But how could a company seem reliable if their own identity is not static?
27
Case Study: Product Equity Levi Jeans Like Coca-Cola, Gillette, and Ford, Levi is also a company tied to the beginning of an invention. Unlike Coca-Cola and Ford, Levi’s has had rocky times where the brand has gone astray.
and should not need famous people, nor should they need to talk down to its consumers. They now do a good job of acknowledging its own consumers and letting the product speak for itself. I think Gillette could do the same.
From the 60s onward, Levi’s had focused its brand identity on being young and hip. Unfortunately, this message was slipping by the 1990s; they were becoming out of touch with their own consumers. By the 2000s, instead of using celebrities to sell their jeans, Levis instead emphasised the product itself as the hero. Why not? Levi’s has been around for a long time,
29
As an experiment, I shaved a potato.
Mind Mapping As an exercise, I recorded my train of thought for 5 minute bursts, working 4 separate sessions. Nothing was filtered. Commong reoccurring elements ranged from the expected, such as blades, cutting and razors, to the
unexpected, such as blue skies and sans serif type, to the downright bizarre, such as pedestrian cross ings and chinese characters. An idea that stuck with me was the memory of my first Gillette razor that my father had bought for me.
Interviews In order to gain insight into the experiences of different people, as well as their stories about Gillette, I interviewed a range of friends from hairless to fully bearded. This is what they have to say. Andrew: My first razor was gillete, only bought it cause it was on sale at that time. I think i was like 18.. i bought it myself and had no idea how to do it and that was the same brand. What type of razor do you use? I have the manual kind that vibrates, I never tried the fully auto ones Do you remember the packaging at all? It was in clamshell packaging I think, not too difficult to open.
The style seems old, not much innovation done to a product that is constantly changing.
Where do your cartridges go after you finish? In the trash.
cause I was sick of my mustache. I don’t remember which brand I used.
model. The Mach 3 (the one with 3 blades - what are they on now? Like 8 blades or something?)
What do you think of Gillette? The style seems old, not much innovation done to a product that constantly changes. Bland personality overall
I use manual because it’s the cheapest and I don’t have to worry about losing it.
When I bought the razor many, many, years ago I bought a shit ton of refill cartridges. Given the infrequency with which I shave, the cartridges have lasted me until now. I bought that Gillette model because at that time it was the hot new model haha! The ads were everywhere and I succumbed to the market ing. However it turned out to be a great razor.
Edward: I use Philips. Not necessarily better but Gillette definitely market better than other brands. I just buy the cheapest one at costco. When did you first start shaving? My first time shaving was in 8th grade. So 13. My dad bought it. Can’t remember the brand. I use electric. Because I’m lazy in switching to a new one every time. Electric works pretty well for me. Have you seen Gillette’s website? Gillette’s website tries to portray a manly style and personality. I don’t really like the color scheme though. It’s a bit dull. Roger: I use gillette because they sell single-use razors in bulk the cheapest at costco, so I don’t have to worry about losing them. Do you remember your first time? I don’t remember my first time shaving, but I was around 13. It was the 8th grade, and I shaved be-
It’s a little bit bulky. I can see that they tried to compact it, but I had to take it out of packaging to get it to fit into my suitcase. Do you really think Gillette’s better?
“It’s kind of dumb to put long descriptions noting many ways that this particular razor is better than another.”
Is it a good razor? It fits my needs nicely. As such I haven’t had a need to switch razors so I don’t have experience with other brands.
I feel like they’re hyping up how much you can actually improve an already-finished technology. razors are razors, and it’s kind of dumb to put long descriptions noting the many ways that this particular razor is better than any other. if it’s cheaper, i’ll get it.
I use the manual kind. I really don’t grow anything past what you would call glorified stubble so I dont
What Gillette Razor do you have? Eugene: I use Gillette, but like a SUPER old
Where did you get your first razor? I started shaving maybe when I was around 16. I just used the razor my brother used. I don’t remember what brand. He gave me his old razor and bought a new one for himself.
“I do remember it had that shitty, super hard to open plastic clam packaging”
I was 5 when I used my grandfather’s Gillette to shave my left eyebrow off. need the fancy vibrating razors. That would be like buying an ipad just to perform the task a calculator can do haha.
razor. I’ll probably go back to Venus Embrace or something else in that line. They’re more or less the same.
Any thoughts on the packaging? I bought my razor so many years ago I honestly don’t remember the packaging. Sorry. I do remember it had that shitty, and super hard to open, plastic clam packaging around it.
I’m not a fan of the plastic clamshell packaging as it’s hard to open and doesn’t have any functions other than protecting the razor (a bit overpackaged, in my humble opinion).
As a woman, why do you choose Gillette? Jenny: I use Gillette Venus Breeze. It’s nice but I think there’s always room for improvement. I feel like the razors made for men have better handles and last longer (only by judgement of my grandpa and brother’s!) whereas the ones for women feel a little cheaper and need to be replaced every year or so because the handles get super dirty and grimy. What was your first experience with Gillette? I was 5 when I used my grandfather’s Gillette to shave my left eyebrow off. The second time I used a razor was when I was in 8th grade. It was a Venus, also a Gillette that I bought myself. What do you use now? It’s manual and it has a gel stick on the top and bottom to ease the shaving. I’m not a huge fan of it though because after a few days, it gunks up the
What do you do with old blades? I toss old cartridges out. To avoid touching the razor end, I shoot out the razor blade into the waste bin by releasing the button and then dip the razor into its refill container to snap the blade on without my touching the blades. Website seems a little bland and personality-less. There’s also no hierarchy and makes the brand
“Bit overpackaged, in my humble opinion” seem like it’s out to just sell products (why are there so many different kinds!?). Perhaps the brand could take on a well-being, sexy approach? Do you use Gillette? Garrett: I do use Gillette, but not for any particular reason. I actually recieved the base unit as a gift a long time ago when I was first learning to shave. I
believe it’s the Gillette Mach 3. I have noticed a difference between Gillette razors and the standard plastic razors. I cut myself much less with Gillette, it is a much smoother shave. I first started shaving when I was probably about 16 or 17. I got the Gillete razor as a gift from my Father, but before I got that I used an electric razor. Don’t remember the brand. I use both electric and manual. The electric is some off-shoot brand, and I really only use it when I’m in the car and in a rush to get to school or something. I manually shave otherwise because it’s a closer shave I don’t really remember the packaging, sorry. That plastic that’s hard to tear or whatever, that’s all I remember. I usually dispose of my razors in a container that I can seal. That way it isn’t loose in the trash and won’t either tear the bag, or cut somebody or an animal or something.
Concept
37
“My first time shaving was in 8th grade. My dad bought it.” “My first razor was Gillete. I think i was like 18. I bought it myself and had no idea how to do it.” “I started shaving maybe when I was around 16. I just used the razor my brother used.. He gave me his old razor.” “I was 5 when I used my grandfather’s Gillette to shave my left eyebrow off.” “I got the Gillete razor as a gift from my Father.”
However, right now, they look like a dad that is going through a midlife crisis. They are trying too hard to be young and hip,
Gillette is the oldest shaving brand. One might even say, their presence could be like that of a father figure.
I trust my Gillette razor because my dad gave it to me when I was sixteen. I’ve always used the same model.
Gillette should be about trust.
Concept
Gillette is a confident presence that guides young men into adulthood.
They need to be comfortable in their own skin.
Gillette doesn’t have to be relatable for young people to trust them.
even though they have no need to be. Because of this, they appear dishonest and insecure.
41
Durable
Intimate
Familiar
Wise
Sleek
Empowering
43
This is Ryan. He is 18 today. Demographic This is Ryan. He turns 18 today. Ryan is educated, but can be naive. He is a little immature, but wants to be grown up. Not really. Ryan subscribes to GQ so he know what he’s “supposed” to wear and how he’s “supposed” to behave. He watches cartoons like Adventure Time, Ren and Stimpy, and South Park. He plays video games such as Assassin’s Creed and Call of Duty. Every now and then Ryan visits a museam to feel “cultured”. He appreciates the things he sees, but does not quite understand them.
Beatles, and Red Hot Chili Peppers. Every month or so he gives classical music a listen to see what it’s all about. Ryan instagrams pictures of license plates and loves to eat Japanaese food; he is still learning how to use chopsticks. Ryan’s dad is often not around because of work. Dad usually spends time with Ryan on Saturday nights, when they watch old movies together. He gets into arguments with his mom and dad, like most kids his age, but loves his family very much.
He likes vintage films and old cars, for the way they look. Ryan listens to Metallica, the Doors, the
45
47
Logo Development
Logo Development Phase I
Phase One_01
Phase One_02
Phase One_03
Phase One_04
Phase One_05
Phase One_06
Phase One_07
Phase One_08
51
Logo Development Phase II
Phase Two_01
Phase Two_02
Phase Two_03
Phase Two_04
Phase Two_05
Phase Two_06
Phase Two_07
Phase Two_08
53
Final Logo
55
William Caslon’s Two Lines Egyptian Gill Sans found as suitable substitute
Gill Sans
Durable Gill Sans evokes imagery of Great Britain between Industrial Revolution and World War II Intimate One of the first sans serif faces. Lovingly hand crafted design. Familiar Old Style proportions. An old typeface that is widely recognized and loved. Wise Keep Calm and Carry On Sleek Sans Serif. Letters that speak to modernity. Empowering Perpetua connotes imagery of Roman Capitals. Gills Sans represents the confidence of wartime Britain
Perpetua
Gill Sans Both designed by Eric Gill
Graphic Development Phase I Early attempts at graphic language took cues from history. Gillette should be sleek. But the graphics should also reflect intelligence, durability, wisdom, and should feel familiar and intimate. The ultra modern look that they have now does not suit those attributes. I used serif typefaces and paired them with early sans serifs to give them Gillette a warm quality. However, problems that occurred include that the graphic application began to feel too much like Art of Shaving, a subbrand of Gillette that utilizes historical imagery. The graphic language should have hints of Gillette’s great history without feeling too old fashioned.
61
Graphic Development Phase II Black appears to work quite well. It gives Gillette a sleek sense of intelligence, as well as instills confidence. This began to feel like a step in a good direction; that Gillette is a product and brand worthy of a father to give to his son. The typeface for the product is Perpetua, a serif face that is a good counterpoint to Gill Sans, as they are fonts both designed by Eric Gill. However, with the yellow and black, the brand begins to feel too close to power tools. It is wise, durable and sleek, but does not feel intimate.
63
Graphic Development Phase III For this step, I felt that the only thing incomplete was the right color. I explored many different options. They were inspired by colors of skin, colors of beer. Other options taken from the traditional formalwear of military officials, textures of precious metals, and the colors of architecture. Colors that appear to work well is the beige as well as the silver-blue.
Packaging Development Phase I
Fig. 1
Beginning Ideas My first few packaging ideas involved extremely simple forms. After my experience both shopping and using several Gillette products, I felt that they were grossly overpackaged. It took too long to get the razor out of the plastic, in additional to that packaging cutting my finger. Naturally, my first idea was a simple flip-open box. I felt that it was quick, and had a nice opening ceremony. Would feel more equity than, the process of unceremoniously cutting open a plastic clamshell. The first two were flip-forms. FIgure 1 is a simple “jewelry box�, and would be made of heavy SBS substrate. It could display the razor nested on a
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
bead of foam, next to the nessescary accessories.
Figure 5 took its inspiration from an aerosel can. I was looking at the product line, and I felt that the can of shaving cream was the odd one out.
From idea of a good opening ceremony, I moved on to forms that were primarily cylindrical in nature. The Gillette razor is a beautiful vertically oriented form, and I wanted to have packaging that not only was extremely easy to open, but did well in showcasing the form of it’s occupant. Figure 3 shows a oval cylinder. A clear tray would keep the razor in place, and the user would pull the base and lid apart to open.
Fig. 5
I had the idea to try making the razor packaging look like the can. The bottom of the can would be opaque and have graphic language applied. The top would be a transparent lid, showcasing the Gillette Blade.
Figure 4 shows a three-sided cylindar with a top that slopes downwards toward the user. On the bottom would house new blade cartridges.
67
Figure 6 is aother idea of a kit. The razor could be housed in a transparemtn compartment atop a box, while the accessories could occupy the tray beneath it. However, this idea begins to feel overpackaged again. But I kept the idea of “drawer” motion for Figures 7 and 8. Another idea I had was for a “cereal box” (fig. 9) where the razor is nested in front, and the package is opened diagonally using a pull tab.
Fig. 6
Fig. 11 is inspired by the transparent Apple Magic Mouse Case that displays the razor beautifully. However, it might be too expensive to produce.
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 11
Fig. 10
Fig. 12 69
Figure 21 is a form from two folded triangles that creates a kit that includes shaving cream, razor, and cartridges. But it may be troublesome to sell a starter kit.
Fig. 13
Fig. 14
Figure 20 involves a razor housed inside of a book. This can seem like a very luxurious option as well as be a good opportunity for infographics. Figures 16 through 18 further showcase the razor through heavy, transparent packages of reusable value.
Fig. 15
Fig. 17
Fig. 16
Fig. 18
Fig. 19
Fig. 21
Fig. 22
Fig. 20
Fig. 23
71
Figure 21 is a form from two folded triangles that creates a kit that includes shaving cream, razor, and cartridges. But it may be troublesome to sell a starter kit.
Fig. 24
Fig. 25
Figure 20 involves a razor housed inside of a book. This can seem like a very luxurious option as well as be a good opportunity for infographics. Figures 16 through 18 further showcase the razor through heavy, transparent packages of reusable value.
Fig. 26
Fig. 27
Fig. 29
Fig. 28
Fig. 30
Fig. 31
73
Packaging Development Phase II
75
I worried that the round form of the hand lotion structure might be too feminine for the razor. In this iteration I attempted a boxy, back-to-basics pyramid form that is based on the notion of the flip open motion of the hand lotion. However, this option is far from sleek, not intimate, and does not feel intelligent.
Packaging Development Phase III
79
What if instead of having a round cap, the “hand lotion� strcture had one that is a shield shape? It appeared to work quite well for this iteration. Because of this, when I began drawing the logos, I made more exploration of shield forms. However, the form created was too long, and was too brittle. The form was aesthetically closer to finished, but there are too many engineering issues.
Packaging Development Phase IV
83
A more durable form was created in this iteration. The logo has been completed by this time, and I saw fit to incorporate the logo shape into the form of the package. The hexagonal motif repeats quite beautifully on other packages. I feel that it would not be repetitive to reuse the same shape. Gillette is a brand that should feel consistent and dependable.
Packaging Development Phase V
Gillette’s exisiting aftershave lotion is in a hand lotion tube. However, I feel that in order to stay on brand, the aftershave lotion must sit on the table, instead of being a handheld form. It should weigh enough that it will have a strong, confident presence. The hexagonal nature could repeat on the shaving gel as well.
87
A problem that occured with the previous iteration of the razor is that the draft angle was not enough to correctly fit both razor and cartridge. This requires me to make this iteration of the razor packaging significantly larger as well as use the hexagonal shape for both top as well as bottom, to open up the space inside.
89
91
93
SemiFinal Presentation Observations During Semi Final presentation, I as well as the class made several close observations about the brand and packaging. The logo shape applied appeared to work well. However, there was danger of it becoming too redundant. Perhaps it was not necessary to use an expanded version of it as the razor cutout window. Another observation made was that overall, the product line was too “black�. Too heavy and dense. It is important for Gillette to appear confident, however there needed to be more highlight elements to lighten up the vernacular.
97
Razor & Handle Packaging It took several tries to get the razor and handle packaging correct. First iterations had angles that were either too acute or obtuse that the razor could not fit, or the overall package was too big. The overall shape of the base is inspired by the Gillette logo. The overall gesture of the shape is repeated in the top of the window that shows the product. However, the form is also pulled down, to allow the handle to show.
99
Razor & Extensions I remedied the problem discovered during semi final presentations (that the project seemed overall too heavy) by changing the aftershave to a transparent package. Another solution was was by creating a thin window on the shave gel bottle. The dimensions of the shave gel window directly come from the window of the razor package. The shape of razor blade cartridges is inspired by the shape of a matchbox. The back flap opens up to reveal the Gillette logo. The original clear inner package from the old Gillette stayed because dispensor shape worked well. Materials The razor and shavegel forms are made from polypropylene, for a more durable package that feels significantly higher end than their Schick counterparts. The cartridges are made from a heavy clear PETG with an outside made of SBS board. The aftershave is made of a lighter polyethylene,
101
Final Photoshoot
Final Packaging
105
Thank you.