Packaging design for feminine hygiene products: from pink to black
American marketers sometimes use the exact term pink thinking. “Pink thinking” is characteristic of companies that stereotype women. The item should be in pastel-colored packaging, in florals, ruffles and labeled “for women only.” However, such an approach is far from always justified – no, more often than not it is not. Let’s turn to the most anything but feminine product and look at the packaging design of the pads.
Pink thinking and classics in design
The most prominent representative of such thinking is Johnson & Johnson. The Carefree brand is sold in predominantly pink colored packaging. That’s not a bad thing in and of itself. So what’s the big deal about “pink is for girls”? It’s a beautiful and feminine shade.
However, along with stereotypical color, the company’s marketers promote stereotypical messages of the same, which is like death in today’s world of thriving and even radical feminism. That’s how outraged some customer was at the Carefree ad:
The point of the ad: women have other things to think about than pads – fitness, travel, men. The point of the angry message: well, yeah, women never think about complicated things like politics or education.
Naturally, the authors wished no harm to anyone by coming up with an advertisement tailored to “typical women.” The problem is that this kind of design and presentation of stereotypes is too outdated.
For example, without any stereotypes, both men and women love sweets! Read the article “Market of jams in Ukraine”.
Target audience: women
Stereotypes do not arise from nothing. There are reasons for them, and competent use of those reasons usually hits the ten. So what are the characteristics of the female audience?
Bright colors. Women like to visualize, so they like bright designs more. They distinguish more colors than men. They can also afford to express moods more openly than men.
Congestion. Most women do everything at once: home, kids, work, school, digging from here to sundown. Therefore, maximum simplicity is needed in the design. Only the most important and necessary things are placed on the packaging.
Small format. The compact product is easy to carry around in your bag. Plus, a small product stands out among its peers.
Fonts. Rounded and airy fonts tend to fit better.
Read also, “How do you define your brand’s audience?”
Usually when characterizing a female audience, they talk about their love of detail. Pads and tampons are a unique product in this regard. It’s embarrassing, it shouldn’t be talked about out loud. What does a friend or mom use? It’s best to take their advice. Plus, periods are painful, so why think about them unnecessarily?
Funny how few people study the intricacies of gasket making except gasket manufacturers. Dresses, cosmetics, furniture, appliances, computers – everything is in order here. Reviews of pads are not very common.
To this day, many countries around the world remain particularly strict about periods and feminine hygiene products. In Nepal, it was not until 2005 that special sheds, chaupadi, where women were banished during their periods, were officially banned. In the Orthodox religion, women on their periods are not allowed to go to church.
In India, the “unclean” sleep separately and do not touch anything in the house – although modern families no longer observe the ban so strictly. Incidentally, Whisper’s pad campaign in India is an example of “something more than just advertising”.
The brand’s advertising is linked to the fight against superstition. An Indian woman during her period is not allowed to pray, not allowed to enter the kitchen. While you are not menstruating, you should not touch the jar where hygiene products are stored. The manufacturer of the pads (all the same Procter & Gamble) has undertaken a mission to educate unfortunate Indian women: you can touch the can!
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Not that stereotypical
The Naturella brand does things a little more gracefully. Everything plays up nature and naturalness – from the name to the color. The symbol in the logo is the daisy, a simple and natural flower. Soft and light fonts without any angularity are chosen.
Yes, we still see florals and delicate hues. However, the pitch here is not as aggressively “feminine” as Carefree’s. Overall, the impression is clean, fresh and natural. The packaging is in line with what the brand marketers want to convey.
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By the way, Always and Naturella are an example of maximally different brands from the same company. Both are marketed by the giant Procter & Gamble. But the products look completely different. Different images and impressions are created.
By the way, the packaging design of the already mentioned Whisper looks like the love child of the marketers of the two brands: the same Always, only green, like Naturella.
As we know, children from mixed marriages often turn out more beautiful and smarter than their parents. Let’s hope the new brand succeeds in its global mission of liberating Indian women.
Always and branding of feminine hygiene products
The design of Always pads follows the usual pattern of Tide and other Procter & Gamble brands: to brighten up! That’s not to say Always is particularly feminine. Functionality is at the forefront of its design. Yes, there are bright colors, bulky soft fonts, small package format… But the design does not create any emotions or images like Naturella. He’s kind of athletic or something.
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Perhaps that’s why Always marketers often talk about sports and outdoor activities, mentioning energetic and determined women. A successful example is the #LikeAGirl campaign, which created an entire movement and has grown beyond advertising. Just like the promotion of Whisper in India, it’s practically a social advertisement.
Notable in the figure are:
- large, clearly visible logo;
- image of the pads (not to be confused with cotton pads);
- absorbency range from 1 to 5;
- different color accent depending on the type of medium.
No particular stereotypes are evident in this design, but it is unmistakably feminine. Sporty and feminine.
Read also: “Top flight: how to create a selling packaging design”
Kimberly-Clark: not like the others.
U by Kotex tampons are an atypical example of packaging design for feminine hygiene products. They’re black. More on that from here. After all, the color black is inherent in the design of products for men, not women?
Kimberly-Clark decided to move away from traditional bright colors and floral patterns by making a stylish black product packaging. Naturally, she did it for a reason. The marketing goal was to reach an audience of girls between the ages of 14 and 22. It’s a modern, agile audience, falling for dynamic and “cool” style.
Minimalist title and design. “U” and nothing extra, black color, abstract patterns – from the world of men. Bright accents, flowing elegant fonts, and a comfortable format – from the world of women. A sublime hybrid of masculinity and femininity in one bottle.
Conclusion
Corporate identity for the manufacturer of women’s goods does not necessarily have to focus on pink and pastel shades and bows with ruffles. It all depends on the chosen audience: girls in their 14s, 20s, 40s and 50s are interested in completely different things. Ruffles don’t appeal to everyone. The modern woman is positioned to be active, energetic and courageous.
Want to win over your women? Contact KOLORO branding agency.
