Foreign product packaging tends to be neutral

Gender stereotyping does not go away with the growth of modern generations of gender equality in the world. However, consistent with changes in attitude, brands are boldly challenging the tradition. This trend is led by the fashion industry. The beauty industry is following closely. Cosmetics and skin care brands rethink the concept of gender and sexual orientation.

The birth of neutral perfume

Neus fragrances (perfumes for both sexes, editor's note) have existed since the perfume was founded, but they have not yet developed into the mainstream until the 1990s. Emporio Armani's understanding of "his and hers" created two completely different perfumes, Lui and Lei, and integrated them by design. Smooth cylindrical metal bottles were shaped to fit each other - a male pump with a small pump above, and a groove for women - subtly communicated gender differences.

 

Adidas Originals Collection Jeremy Scott Wings 2.0 High Top Sneakers

The first to draw the sexes closer than ever is Calvin Klein, who gathered them in iconic CK One fragrances. Employ models with various backgrounds and sexual orientations, and unite them to give meaning and character to their "One for all" concept. At the same time, the cosmetics giant MAC, which has been committed to diversification and personalization, announced the transformation of superstar Ru Paul as its first publicity woman. They have been maintaining their vision since then: as a company for "all genders, all ages and all races."

Inspire individuals

Changes in the concept of gender and identity have repeatedly attracted the attention of mainstream brands. As more and more people are unwilling to be included in the range of dual gender, brands are re-adjusting social boundaries in order to adopt a more inclusive approach that allows them to stay in touch with the wider audience for longer periods of time. .

The men's repair brand Axe has recently discovered the "The Axe Effect" as a propaganda word, packaging and positioning for contemporary men. "Find your magic" is meant to encourage men to feel more comfortable and confident about their own skin. With the change in attitudes toward men's repairs, their new strategies are vigorously promoting personalization, in line with the current more masculine attitude toward manhood. This is reflected in the packaging is more delicate patterns of neutral beauty.

After designing the perfume for Moschino, designer Jeremy Scott continued his neutral perfume creation. As a designer of the Adidas Originals series, he launched the brand's first fragrance. The fragrant bottles are designed to be the shape of Adidas Jeremy Scott Wings 2.0 high-top shoes.

A suitable brand for everyone may lead to ambiguous positioning. The challenge for brands at this time is to cultivate a strong and unique personality through their packaging and brand positioning. Packaging design needs to create original visual elements that cater to both men and women. An example of this is Comme des Garcons' iconic (neutral) perfume bottle design.

The structure of its bottles is uniquely consistent, and the illustrations are used to represent each unique fragrance. The design embodies the personalization of the brand and fragrance, which gives the product a much larger audience and meaning than the gender-specific design.

Inclusive design

We are seeing small companies entering this field and taking the opportunity to explore the world of gender-free brands. These brands use a neutral aesthetic and abandon the stereotyped gender elements.

Basik is a personal care and home branding concept created by the Finnish designer Saana Hellsten. Hellsten understands the difference in morphological structure between male and female razors, but these differences are related to the function of the product, not the gender of the consumer. So based on the function more than sex, she created a packaging program that is more suitable for our current scope. In creating its effective formula and skin care product plan, the neutral beauty brand Context has adopted the same concept, targeting skin types rather than gender.

Another example is Sam Farmer's desire to change the market with his neutral product line for teens. After having his own children, he realized that teenagers were subject to numerous provocative and harmful forms of marketing. He launched his own series of personal care products, focusing on openness and equality.

Brand and packaging design is the initial interaction with the product. The continuation of gender stereotypes will not leave a good first impression, nor will it allow the new generation to maintain a lasting impression. Challenge gender segregation and create a clear and cohesive neutral brand personality, will continue to make the best impact.