When a company’s website produces a “10 steps to wash your hands properly” video, you know it must be serious about hand hygiene.
Carex is just that, and its online “Did you know?” section provides little factoids such as, “Many bacteria can survive on surfaces for several months.” The ultimate object, of course, is to sell more handwash, gels, wipes, and creams. To help meet that objective, the Manchester, U.K. company refreshed its Carex handwash packaging, in part to celebrate the product’s 25th anniversary, enlisting brand and packaging design agency PB Creative.
PB Creative developed an iconic droplet device to reflect Carex as the leading antibacterial handwash brand and to create synergy across the Core, Fun Editions and newly developed Advanced ranges.The design firm was tasked with defining a core brand message and bringing balance and unity to the packaging portfolio. Carex and PB Creative worked closely “to reappraise the brand and create a strong core aesthetic that could stretch and flex across each of the different tiers,” according to the design firm.
Ian Henderson, Global Head of Brand for Carex, says, “We’re really passionate about the new design—the droplet stands for Carex now. PB Creative has delivered, bringing together different personalities in a unified and iconic way, while maintaining the existing visual qualities of the brand. We are proud to have been category leader for 25 years—the new design reflects our brand strengths, supported with a clear and cohesive range hierarchy.”
PB Creative Co-Founder and Director Pete Hayes says, “The biggest challenge was to deliver unity. We needed to champion the different aesthetic shifts and personalities that exist within the Carex family, while consolidating the range with a consistent brand look and feel. We were keen to move Carex into a more contemporary area.
“We began at the brand’s heartland—with the five SKUs that form the foundation of the Core Carex range. We created the iconic droplet structure as the key, ownable brand equity, delivering clarity and coherency to the messaging hierarchy, which was then developed across the other tiers.”
The brand mark was also given a subtle refresh, moving to a more single-minded, solid background color, delivering iconicity and standout at shelf. It was essential that the new 2D droplet execution complemented the established 3D equity.
The new Advanced range further leverages the droplet graphic, employing a pearlescent, semi-transparent bottle finish, silver pumps, and a metallic label substrate to deliver a more premium proposition.
Contemporary graphic textures reinforce each product’s efficacy. For example, a floral design denotes “care,” diamond geometrics indicates “clean,” and the structured hexagonal backdrop represents “protect.”
The droplet core asset remains consistent across the Fun Editions tier also, but with the playfulness of each variant dialed up to reflect the enticing “flavors,” including Bubble Gum, Strawberry Laces, and Love Hearts. The celebratory “25-year” banner will remain on pack for up to six months following its August 2018 nationwide rollout.
