Nivea is, without any doubt, the largest traditional brand in the cosmetics world. Consumers globally attach values such as trust, competence and comfort with this brand. Traditionally strong in skin care, Nivea has also diversified in many other areas of cosmetics. Their sub brand for color cosmetics is Nivea Beauté and was first launched in 1997. The Nivea Beauté range is available in most European countries and holds strong market positions in its respective markets.

In 2006 Nivea Beauté was relaunched with a new logo and packaging, both designed by the Munich-based designer Dieter Bakic and his team. The design office with thirty years of experience is specialized in cosmetics packaging and has been bagging prizes and plaudits with their elegant and skillful work for brands like Estee Lauder and Kanebo. Crucial part of the assignment was a creative marketing story to explore the imaginative potential of the new look and to provide inspiration for the advertising agencies involved in later stages. Given the importance of packaging design for cosmetic products, it makes perfect sense to give the “creative lead” for a campaign to the packaging designers. A coherent creative marketing story connects and explains the brand background, current trends, design inspirations and target groups. As a tool it ensures the consequent implementation of strategies and promotes integrated brand communication.

The redesign of Nivea Beauté came with an inherent difficulty: the contradiction between the rather unpretentious image of Nivea and the non-natural character of make-up itself. The designers of Dieter Bakic have been reflecting the Beiersdorf slogan “Adding beauty to care” and given it a twist: the element of care has been added to decorative cosmetics. Consequently the creative marketing story focuses less on stylized perfection and more on simplicity and authentic femininity. The concept is lively and inviting, almost the opposite of the more elitist ideas of make-up-artist brands. Consequently the product is targeted to active women with jobs and families, whose make-up routines have to fit in effortlessly. Their make-up has to be both beautiful and useful.

Dieter Bakic’s team focused on the essential character of the brand and identified values as simplicity and authenticity as key concepts. On a more tangible level this is expressed in the return of the perfectly round shape of the classic Nivea tin. The resulting design is far from nostalgic; it connects the past with the future in a soulful contemporary look.

Another striking difference between the old and new packaging of Nivea Beauté is the new color scheme: it is now based on an shimmering airy blue, which gives the products a pure and precious quality. Transparency conveys the message that there is nothing to reveal - not for the product and not for the user. Brands are promises and this design clearly evokes notions of radiance and natural beauty.

By August 2006 three-quarter of the Nivea Beauté products on the shelf will be updated.