lululemon Selfcare
Brand identity framework, naming and packaging design for the first beauty line from the activewear retailer.
Activewear brand lululemon athletica launched its first-ever beauty line with lululemon selfcare, a collection of personal care products that are designed to be used as part of one’s yoga and fitness practice. The gender-neutral, five-product range includes lip balm, dry shampoo, facial moisturizer, deodorant, and body lotion, specifically formulated for pre-, mid-and post-workout. The team developed the brand identity framework for the line, including brand positioning, naming, messaging, and packaging design. The sleek red-and-white packaging nods to the iconic lululemon identity and conveys the line’s focus on function and utility, but with a premium look and feel.
Selfcare’s visual language and packaging connect with the master brand with a minimal look that communicates serenity and utility. The designers wanted selfcare to feel like part of the larger lululemon brand but have the ability to stand on its own. (The line is sold on lululemon’s website and in lululemon stores, as well as on Sephora.com and in select studios.)
The containers have a streamlined structure that is compact and portable, so users can just throw them in their gym bags, and feature thoughtful touches that make them feel special. A distinctive red-band rubber “boot” sits around the bottom of the containers (or tube cap on the mask cleanser) for stability and makes the products instantly recognizable as lululemon. Leak-proof seals prevent spills and a tactile, soft-touch coating that, along with the rubber bottoms, minimizes any clinking that might disturb the hush of the yoga studio.
Along with the signature lululemon red, the packaging graphics incorporate distinctive typography. In their work for lululemon, the designers have looked for ways to introduce custom typographic expressions outside of the wordmark, to expand the brand’s visual language and make it more flexible and experimental.
The selfcare typography appears as a fluid graphic pattern that covers the surface of the packaging, hinting at the product’s function. The letters form the word “self” in a generative pattern that also subtly integrates the lululemon mark. “Self” is not immediately legible, but as the user’s eye travels around the graphics, the name comes into focus. The designers got the idea from yoga itself, which builds simple elements of movement into larger structures. The typographic patterns are also used in selfcare brand graphics where the letters dynamically group themselves to form the lululemon symbol.
