Clearasil in major relaunch to broaden appeal of range

Clearasil has undertaken its most significant rebrand in more than ten years. It is carrying out a six-figure design project to overhaul its brand proposition, identity and packaging in a bid to feminise the range and introduce a more cohesive look, as part of a long-term strategy to target a broader market.

Bristol design consultancy Reach and Wiltshire-based Tin Horse, which were appointed to the project two years ago following a five-way pitch, have carried out the redesign. Reach has worked on the graphic elements, while Tin Horse has created the structural packaging designs.

Clearasil relaunches this month across the UK, the US, Australia and New Zealand, with a full global roll-out planned by the end of this summer. The two new collections include Clearasil DailyCare – featuring Spot Control, Blackhead Control and Oil Control products – and Clearasil Ultra.

The aim is to rejuvenate the Clearasil collection and move the brand away from its unisex positioning, so that it appeals more to women and an older consumer group, such as 16- to 24-year-olds.

Clearasil has also shaken up its brand portfolio and realigned products along different categories to emphasise the various skincare benefits of its range. It has redesigned its identity, evolving its red swoosh logo into a variety of colour-coded versions in order to distinguish each separate product group.

The logo has also been reworked, moving from a diagonal to an upright placement on the pack. The packaging features a new, distinctive arc to echo Clearasil’s logo, while colour-coded lids have been introduced to differentiate between products.

According to Corinne Tocmacov, senior project manager at Boots Healthcare International, ‘The objective was to rejuvenate the brand with new graphic and structural designs. We have reviewed the brand equity to broaden Clearasil’s overall appeal.’

BHI still owns Clearasil, but the brand will fall under Reckitt Benckiser’s brand umbrella when it acquires BHI at the end of this month. Tocmacov says BHI has been conducting handover meetings with the team at Reckitt, providing them with research to support the redesign. Clearasil is unlikely to be redesigned by Reckitt Benckiser in the short term, she adds.

Martin Bunce, design director at Tin Horse, says the relaunch ‘brings the whole range together into a cohesive portfolio – previously it was quite fragmented.’

Caroline Hagen, managing director at Reach, says the consultancy is continuing to work on new product developments for the Clearasil brand.

Reckitt Benckiser and Clearasil:

• Reckitt Benckiser announces it will acquire Boots Healthcare International in October 2005

• Deal to be complete by end of January – BHI to be integrated into Reckitt Benckiser

• BHI begins rebranding of Clearasil two years before the sale

• Clearasil rebrand rolls out just ahead of the sale

• Redesign applied to 80 products worldwide

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