SKIN DEEP: A facelift for France's pioneer natural skincare brand

■Context
The skincare industry is in constant evolution, with new innovations in formulas and a growing emphasis on clean and natural ingredients. Founded by Mathilde and Bertrand Thomas in Bordeaux in 1995, French beauty brand Caudalie has led the way with its innovative vino-therapy beauty products, a recognized pioneer in sustainable research. Now, 25 years later, Caudalie aims to enhance its brand to further expand its dedicated following in the rapidly growing beauty market.

Challenge
Caudalie was already successful. Yet, some of its brand codes were used without clear guidelines and needed to be updated, such as the original grape drawing on the packaging, the typography, and the color ranges. The brand's visual touchpoints lacked unifying concepts and felt fragmented. Overall, the brand needed to simplify its principles and apply them thoroughly to get more impact at its points of sale and in its communications. Like tired skin in need of rejuvenation, Caudalie sought a revitalizing facelift.

Solution
In a bold move, the decision was made to rebrand Caudalie from the ground up, starting with a single pack rather than a top-down approach. Initial transformations, such as logo redesign, introducing a new grape icon, proposing fresh color palettes, and crafting a bespoke typeface, were first tested on packaging before being applied across all brand touchpoints. This unconventional yet highly effective process is detailed in the article "Backwards Branding" by Base Partner Thierry Brunfaut.

Working in co-creation, the Caudalie and Base teams meticulously sourced the finest materials to fulfill the founder’s environmental commitments. This initial phase prompted a comprehensive review of the entire product range, leading to the adoption of "color-blocking" to unify various product lines for a cohesive visual identity. Alongside providing artistic direction, refining the brand's tone of voice and providing consultancy for their digital channels, the refreshed branding maintains its original essence with minimal aesthetic updates.

Continuing our close partnership, Base serves as creative consultants, adapting brand codes to meet evolving market demands while ensuring Caudalie remains agile and contemporary. This coordinated effort directly impacted the business: Caudalie performed a +23% increase over 2023.