BRAND CAMPAIGN
Softsoap Rebrand
Finding Joy in Handwashing
Softsoap is a veteran in the soap business that is known for its beloved Aquarium Series. However, in 2023, the iconic Aquarium bottle that made Softsoap recognizable has now lost the magic with branding that is close to generic.
Softsoap has ample opportunity to differentiate with these concept designs that provide a unique illustration style to the brand and establish a voice that feels energetic and individualized.
Identity Rebrand
Logo
The new Softsoap logo utilizes a rounded sans-serif typeface that feels friendly and wholesome. A soap bottle and smile are incorporated into the “o” of the logo to represent the products that Softsoap produces, and the feeling of joy that you get when using them.
Type & New Brand Elements
One font family was chosen for this rebrand, a rounded geometric font that would maintain the friendly feeling of the logo yet provide a clean aesthetic. New illustrations were created for the brand with unique stylization that will pop on retail shelves. Each element has wavy outlines and a rough texture that is reminiscent of a scrub.
Ideation
Finding a way to make a soap brand new and exciting was certainly a challenge. It all started with the process of breaking down how Softsoap benefits its customers. After doing some research, I found that Softsoap aims to enhance the joy that we feel from the small and precious moments of life. From there, everything clicked and I knew that I needed to push the theme of Softsoap bringing families happiness.
Old Logo
New Logo
Color Palette
Full Color Mark
New Brand Elements
Digitized Logo Sketches
Mind Mapping & Word Lists
Identity System
The corporate identity was kept simple yet stylized to ensure that the system looked professional. Stylization was brought through texture that brought life to each design. Only blues and white were used to stray away from the playfulness of the brand illustrations.
Company Merchandise
Company merch is ideal for a brand like Softsoap that doesn’t sell anything other than soap. I started off with the concept of a water bottle that mimics the look of the iconic Aquarium Series soap bottle, with a transparent background and whimsical fish filled foreground. Then, I thought a towel would be a perfect item to accompany the company’s body wash line. Finally, I created a tote bag that would easily carry and hold the other merchandise items.
Sketch & First Illustration Iteration
Company Water Bottle
Company Towel
The new tagline “Let’s Get Bubbly!” was created during the merchandise design process, along with the secondary tagline, “Feel joy in the small moments.” The primary tagline establishes the bright brand personality and voice, whereas the secondary tagline reinforces the brand’s mission to enhance the happiness felt in life’s small moments.
Company Tote Bag
Packaging
I wanted to reimagine Softsoap’s iconic Aquarium Series and their packaging system as a whole. Equipped with the new brand illustrations, I created the illusion of fish and sea creatures floating in water. From here, the idea of marine animals representing the soap blossomed. The texture of the animal represents the texture of the soap, like smooth dolphins representing moisturizing soap. Since the soaps outside of the Aquarium Series are scented, I took the opportunity to incorporate the fragrances of the products into the underwater environments.
Moisturizing Hand Soap
Exfoliating Body Wash
Aquarium Series Hand Soap
Initial Composition Sketches
Environment
Retail is the main touchpoint between Softsoap and their consumers. Shelf talkers were the perfect opportunity directly promote the new and improved Aquarium Series to their target audience. Of course, the space was also prime time to entice potential buyers with a good deal and boost sales. However, the retail display shelf shows off the brand’s new tagline and illustrations best, with the tagline being front and center and the illustrations acting as detailed backgrounds.
Shelf Talkers
Retail Display Shelf
Print & Digital Advertising
Print and digital ads were created to ensure the brand has a strong physical and digital presence. For print, I wanted to focus on things parents would need, like coupons and a postcard with proper, yet fun, hand washing instructions for their children. Digital was an opportunity for me to explore engagement tactics, like an online voting campaign and an interactive landing page. This area of the brand campaign is where I created the primary promotional copy for the Aquarium Series, “Classic Never Looked so Clean.”
Postcards
Mailer Coupons
Social Media Campaign
Instagram Carousel
Landing Page | Interact with Me!
Annual Report
The annual report was a challenge to combine fun and corporate into one book. Much of the excitement of this report comes from the infographics, which utilize the brand’s motif of bubbles and images of bottles to communicate all of the fascinating facts and numbers. Overall, the organization of the content is digestible and engaging due to the use of texture and imagery throughout the report.
The Final Outcome
Softsoap was extremely fun to design and reimagine. In the beginning, it was difficult to ideate and see the vision or for this rebranding. However, once I allowed myself to experiment with the illustration style and try something different with textures and wavy lines, it came together to build a unique, intriguing, and appealing brand. The outcome of this rebrand was successful in creating a strong and cohesive identity.
This rebrand was created for a class project, with no affiliation to Softsoap or any associated organizations. All images, logos, products, videos, and other copyrights or trademarks featured, mentioned, or referred to within the project are the property of Softsoap. The use of the trade name, copyright, or trademark in my student portfolio for identification and reference purposes only and does not imply any association with the copyright or trademark holder of their product or brand. Softsoap does not sponsor or endorse any of the shown work.
