Modernising a cherished brand
- Client HAWAIIAN TROPIC
- Scope Brand Strategy \ Campaigning
THE CHALLENGE
Hawaiian Tropic was born in Daytona Beach Florida in the swinging sixties. The brand image was rooted in Floridian spring beach vibes and deeply tanned, oily beach bodies.
But by the 2020’s attitudes to sun-bathing and fears about the impact of over-exposure to UV had changed. Low-factor sun protection and even tanning became frowned upon, SPF 50 encouraged even for trips to the shops, and many skincare products incorporated sun protection. Despite adding a full range of sun factor protection levels including factor 50, Hawaiian Tropic was seen by some as belonging to a former time.
The brand needed a way to retain its sun-loving heritage while being seen to have moved with the times. Hawaiian Tropic offers a unique celebratory vibe in a sea of sun cream lookalikes and safety and protection messaging. Pull were confident we could modernise the feel of the brand while cherishing its heritage
THE IDEA
Consumer research revealed that there was a sizeable set of fun-loving younger people who relished time in the sun. They believed those heady summer days which they enjoyed with friends in the park or the beach were enhanced with the scent, feel – and now protection - of Hawaiian Tropic. We identified them as Beauty Conscious Sun Lovers.
Despite those preaching about the dangers, enjoying the feeling of sun on your skin is an almost universal human desire. We thought: Why not celebrate that? Some love to live their life in the sun. So they should seize the day, enjoy the sun, revel in the scent of sun-warmed skin and Hawaiian Tropic, knowing at the same time, they are still safe from sunburn.
So let’s fight back against the doom-mongers and own the idea of enjoying the life-affirming feel of the sun on your skin, enhanced by an unmistakable scent and luxurious feel.
EMOTIONAL APPEAL
Our research for multiple clients has made it clear: Skincare product users purchase for both rational and emotional reasons. They buy products they believe are formulated to suit their skincare needs, and they buy because of how they make them feel.
Hawaiian Tropic’s functional purpose had changed: from helping you get a deep tan to protecting your skin from harmful UV rays. But its emotional purpose was the same: complement that summer feel-good vibe with a sensorial experience driven by its iconic tropical scent.
SO WE CREATED DISTINCTIVE NEW BRAND ASSETS
THE HIBISCUS
The hibiscus flower delivers an owned link to the brand, the packaging and Hawaii. This is a nod to the brand’s name and origin. As the brand’s true origins were in Florida, not Hawaii, we recommended against majoring on Hawaiian culture. The brand had previously done this and it had not worked.
But he hibiscus has a beautiful natural and organic form. Pull created a modern and simplistic representation of the Hibiscus flower head as a creative device. It’s organic and fluid shape makes a useful mask that draws focus to the content in an ownable and distinct way.
SUN PROTECTION DEVICE
All beauty brands have a functional and emotional benefit. While the assets we created for the brand were all designed to create that summer feel-good vibe, the functional benefit of the SPF function had to be clear. The hibiscus mask was the perfect device to use for that, highlighting protection with a glassy distortion effect to suggest a light but effective shield.
GRADIENT TEXTURES
We developed three gradient textures that bring vibrant, energetic colour to the new look for the brand derived from the existing Hawaiian Tropic brand colours. The gradients capture the feel of sun on skin, with different levels of warmth and varying tones and a sense of hazy light on a hot day. The three images allow the core range to be segmented and each of the sub-brands represented by an appropriate tone.
DISTINCTIVE TOOLKIT
Having create the core creative devices, Pull then provided a toolkit to help anyone working with the brand ensure that it is perceived as different – vibrant, positive and optimistic.
PHOTOSHOOT
Working closely alongside one of our trusted partners we orchestrated a photo and video shoot in Ibiza. Together with Edgewell and the production teams, Pull provided pre-production and model selection, and management and creative direction across the two-day shoot on location, and post-production and re-touches.
The photography reflects the brand manifesto with the ultimate goal in mind - to celebrate life in the sun and bring joy to the world. Models were chosen to reflect real women - imperfect yet beautiful with freckles, tattoos and even a touch of cellulite making them relatable to the audience. Brand colours were also considered and reflected through outfits and accessories to continue the owned feel.
SOCIAL & ECOMMERCE
The new identity gave us the toolkit to deliver a distinct experience both on the website and social media. Social activity was front of mind when developing the identity components, offering a strong, characterful mix of styles and elements to bring channels to life.
Pull leveraged AI to produce product shots that appeared to be shot on the same location as our photoshoot, providing the client with a cost-effective approach to multiple product image production.
BRAND BOOK & SOCIAL MEDIA PLAYBOOK
Full guidelines were developed to provide clarity for future brand asset development, campaigns, packaging and point of sale.
A comprehensive social playbook was also developed covering everything from the brand manifesto, through target personas, communication strategies, using influencers and creators, UGC, p[aid social and community management.
PROMOTIONAL & POS
Our distinct brand assets bring any communication format to life, whether that be an event, pop-up display or a simple promotional element. Each develops a strong visual link to the brand.
