Dove Hair Care Relaunch in Japan

Being a global brand has its challenges. It’s obviously important to keep your products and image consistent across countries and continents, but they must also be suited for the different market trends that exist in each location. Dove, the hair care company sold around the world, launched in Japan in 2011. This year, the team at JDO Brand Design & Innovation was tasked to relaunch the brand in brand new packaging. With Japan being one of the top hair care markets in the world, JDO needed the brand to reconnect with buyers in a dynamic and competitive way. The goal was to give Dove products a more exclusive feel with a more feminine look.

“The Japanese market is completely distinct from the rest of the world and JDO needed to ‘get under the skin’ of local nuances and cultural differences. Femininity in Japan is key to beauty and is expressed by the term ‘Kawaii’ which is a girlish and sweet type of femininity. It has become a prominent aspect of Japanese popular culture influencing entertainment, clothing food, behavior and mannerisms. JDO embraced this element by imbuing the new design with a complementary feminine look and feel, incorporating delicate touches and superior moisture and nourishment cues, creating a sense of genuine personal care. The new range comprises two variants: moisture plus oxygen in a pale blue colourway and moisture plus oil represented in yellow.”

The subtle hints towards “Kawaii” culture are noticeable but don’t take away from the overall brand name. The intense blue and yellow hues contribute to the overall femininity, while the oxygen rich bubbles imply the high quality of the product. The clean, white appearance that Dove embraces is still evident, while these elements clearly place the products in the Japanse market.

Leandro Barreto, Dove global brand director adds, “JDO’s new design is consistent with Dove hair’s look and feel globally but addresses the specific needs of the Japanese market with a more premium and feminine representation. The packs are still recognizable as being Dove with its ‘white plus’ approach, but the new designs achieve both stand out on shelf in this very competitive market as well as intuitive variant navigation for consumers.”

Designed by JDO Brand Design & Innovation

Client: Dove

Country: United Kingdom