Rethinking Clinique
If Clinique hired me tomorrow, here is what I would tell them...
A little over 2 weeks ago, I read an article by Starving for Beauty titled Clinique Is The Granny Panties of the Beauty World. I was immediately captivated by this article and the authors' perspective on how Clinique has lost its spark after all its years in business. The harsh fact is, that Clinique is no longer exciting with competitors like Rhode, Kosas, and Refy racing past the beauty giant. The thing is, Clinique is inherently not a bad brand. It’s a legacy brand that has been on the market for 56 years, which is extremely impressive. The products aren’t bad either, my Dad always has the Clinique Daily Moisturizer on his side of the sink. I love their Black Honey Almost Lipstick and know countless others who do too. Most of us were introduced to the brand years ago, so we know they can reach us but are unable to as we have grown up. Many of us were first introduced to the brand at the age of 13 by our mothers, cousins, or friends who gifted us this thing called a chubby stick. Or maybe you were introduced to Clinique when you first started to see clogged pores and opted for their 3-step cleansing routine. I still remember walking through Ulta with one of my childhood friends, her collection of chubby stick blushes stuffed in her purse telling me which shade she planned to purchase next. However, even with a solid roster of quality products, it seems that no one is continuously buying Clinique anymore. Chubby sticks, 3-step routines, and even Black Honey have become items occasionally purchased. So what exactly went wrong for Clinique? My hypothesis as to why they lost their reputation (and their cool factor) is a result of their choices to brand themselves.
Before we begin I think it's helpful to look at where we are starting from. At the moment, Clinique has been attempting to give off a clean, basic, yet knowledgeable vibe highlighting their dermatologist-guided skincare solutions. Theoretically, this is a great brand aesthetic however it makes Clinique feel stuffy and a bit drab to me. In an era where being a clean girl is the pinnacle, Clinique has the product roster to make it a clean girl-approved brand. However, their social media and packaging specifically fall short. I would also like to preface before we begin that I am most definitely not a graphic designer, so please ignore my iffy Photoshop skills :)
Clinique’s main colors include its famous “Clinique Green” which is a minty pastel color. Their other main colors are black and white. However, the color seen most often in Clinique products is silver. Although Clinique Green is part of the brand ethos, I think it tends to make the products feel slightly juvenile. They should add another classic Clinique color to their branding, Black Honey. Black Honey is arguably the face of Clinique and the Black Honey Lipstick is a hero product for the brand. So why not give Black Honey the credit it deserves? In addition to the beautiful sheer maroon color, I think it would look great paired with an icy silver color. The more metallic the better! The result of this combo is a mature, fun, and classic look that can be adorned by consumers of all ages.
With these new colors and aesthetics, let’s move on to the Clinique social media. More specifically, the Clinique Instagram page. If you head to the Clinique Instagram page, you will see the grid on the left. This is not awful by any means, but it just feels so stuffy to me. You can clearly tell everything is an advertisement which can be off-putting to the modern consumer. Even in sections where the content is less text-focused, it is still a little dull and repetitive. Consumers today want a brands page to not just sell them products, but to sell them a lifestyle. Take Rhode for example who has crushed the beauty space recently. Their editorial shots showcasing their rich lip tint colors and blushes have completely shaken the beauty industry. Their Instagram doesn’t just showcase the product, but it highlights the lifestyle attached to the products. For Clinique to dominate again, it should use its immense platform (and its financial backing as a legacy brand) to create a feed that people want to look at.
Social Media:
If I was on Clinique’s social media team, here is how I would organize the feed. With just a few slight changes, the whole vibe changed. It feels much more casual and attainable. It’s playful and fun but still has the maturity associated with owning a Clinique product. And to me, the profile photo alone highlights what Clinique is known for, the beautiful and versatile Black Honey color. I would also want to bring back the nostalgia of their iconic 90s advertisements but with a 2024 feel. Pinterest is littered with so many Irving Penn x Clinique product shots, and I want Clinique to bring back that creative editorial style.
Packaging:
Sometimes the simplicity of Clinique’s packaging can make the product look cheap. This is unfortunate considering that Clinique is not an inexpensive brand with its high-end prices. I would love to see Clinique opt for monochromatic packaging with a metallic silver scripted Clinique logo. For example, their Pop Longwear Lipstick has great packaging that I mimic for their other products. I would also advise them to stamp the classic Clinique C into their lipsticks, as this makes the products feel extremely luxurious.
Beauty Bags:
One thing I distinctly remember about Clinique is the pretty little pouches they would send when you ordered a certain monetary amount of products. Between my Mom’s skincare products and my Dad’s devotion to the moisturizer, we always had a couple floating around the house. If I were to design my own pouch for Clinique, I would want it to be a metallic silver material on the outside with one singular kiss mark on the right-hand corner. It’s chic, simple, glamorous, yet bold for Clinique. And the kiss print has to be in the Black Honey color!
The wonderful part about branding is that with a few ideas and a good campaign, a brand can never be out of style for too long. Brands such as J. Crew have completely flipped the public perception of the brand by listening to their customers and going back to their roots. In my opinion, Clinique really had that “it-factor” in the 90’s and I believe now is the perfect time to bring back that aesthetic. Let me know if you could see any of these refreshed ideas working for Clinique. Okay, that’s all from me, thank you for reading!
<3,
HMC
This is too good!!! 💌