Ajwud Natural Cosmetics // Oman
Background. Ajwud is an Omani company that produces skincare cosmetics employing only natural and organic raw materials, with a strong environmental ethic focused on avoiding waste and respecting the environment. My brief was to design a re-branding of their visual image (available at ajwud.life) and develop a new marketing strategy to revamp the company in Oman and extend its presence in the global market.
Creative Process. The old visual brand identity was elegant and in line with a Middle-Eastern style, but not very distinctive, not offering much differentiation from the competition. In a context where so many brands are ‘greenwashing’ themselves to appear more sustainable and therefore appealing to the public, more and more companies are taking the same steps. From naked cardboard packagings to mild earthy colour palettes we see over and over very similar designs. My objective was to create a branding and marketing strategy that could make Ajwud really stand out in the global market. To achieve this I decided to create young (as the best target for 100% sustainable and vegan products) and colourful visuals that break the minimalistic and pharmaceutical styles used by most of Ajwud competitors.
I also wanted to convey the message that Ajwud customers are people that are happy and satisfied with being able to take care of themselves with their skincare routines, while also being proudly part of a community of people that are environmentally conscious. This resulted in the implementation of plain, sparkling colours, a bold and lively logo and pictures of happy and playful people.
Primary and secondary logos. I built the primary logo by designing a custom lettering originating from the Century Gothic. With the “w” enclosing the “u”, creating peculiarity without compromising the readability of the name. The secondary logo takes advantage of this peculiarity without repeating the full name of the company, enhancing brand awareness and recognition. The typefaces I used for the texts are the Century Gothic to create uniformity with the logo and the Holymore Regular to create movement and variety without sacrificing readability.
As part of the marketing plan, I also developed a social media mood board that convey the fresh and joyful spirit of the brand. You can see a preview here.
