Opening Lines
Redesigning Clinique
By Marie Redding, Senior EditorOne of the cocktail parties I attended this holiday season feted Clinique as the recipient of the 2007 Art of Packaging award, hosted by the Pratt Institute and Luxe Pack. The award recognizes Clinique’s major package-redesign initiative, which began in 2005 and continued throughout 2006.
Curious about some of the specific changes, I called Ted Owen, Clinique’s vice president of global package design. “Our challenge was to create new designs that give a more modern feeling to the brand, while also elevating existing packages,” said Owen. Because some Clinique customers have been using the same Clinique products for decades, it was important to introduce packaging changes gradually.
Overall, Clinique’s “clean” packaging style has always reflected the brand’s heritage of a clinical, dermatology-based skin care line. “The core aesthetic of the brand hasn’t changed,” explained Owens. “The packages rarely use surface decoration and instead rely on new, interesting materials that may not have been available a few years ago.”
Clinique’s new packaging.
Functionality influenced the brand’s new packaging. “The use of clear materials, such as acrylic and lucite for cosmetic compacts, allows the consumer to choose colors more easily,” said Owen. For instance, for the brand’s new Color Surge Eyeshadow, Clinique’s signature, marbled green and silver opaque package was changed to a clear acrylic tray with a silver cover. This was one of the first products to launch in the redesigned packaging in 2005.
Clinique’s treatment products were updated by incorporating pumps onto many of its bottles in 2006, including the bottle for Turnaround Concentrate. A custom-designed, refillable, airtight compact was produced for Superbalanced Makeup, which launched in 2006. “This compact allows the sponge and mirror to be used without exposing the foundation to air,” explains Owen.
Clinique’s lipstick packaging was also given a modern makeover, beginning with the launch of Buttershine Lipstick in 2005. The new package incorporates the sleek silver look of the brand’s iconic classic ridged lipstick package, but it is molded in the exotic shape of a bamboo stalk.
Clinique’s new packaging has made a seamless transition into the brand’s product lineup. “Our goal is to continue to launch new formulas in more-enhanced packaging, while still remaining true to the classic design our customers love,” Owen says.