Author Archives: Anna C.

Step 3 > Develop

TARGET CONSUMER:

OVERALL: Grabbing the attention of people who are a burst of energy, fun, have a love for adventure, diversity, joy, positivity, carnival, The Amazon and our planet, while toning it down a notch. They are not gravitated toward the loud and bright ALL yellow collection of SOL de Janeiro. They are buyers of the product for the smells and quality. They can still relate and connect with the brand because they love nature and being under the sun.

SPECIFIC TARGET AUDIENCE

Ainsley is 22 years old, born in 1999. After a recent break up she has become closer with her friends and family, particularly her grandma. They have many similarities, given their age difference. They share a love for painting but disagree on color palette. Ainsley loves green, blue and purples while her grandma loves yellow, oranges and blues. When Aisnley learned her grandma was color blinded and only able to see blues and yellows, she had a new appreciation for the color yellow.

SOL de Janeiro is a brand that prides themselves on diversity and joy, both of which have no age limit. Ainsley learned about this company and bought the products for her grandma to feel youthful and smell good but also because she thought maybe her grandma would be able to see the packaging (One from the bar soap line I am creating incorporates yellow but also adds additional colors).

On the outside Ainsley is usually quiet, but for those that know her it’s only around strangers. Once comfortable she can’t stop talking, singing, and laughing. Outgoing, creative, kind, and energetic, is how her friends would describe her.

She does not hate Mondays, but setting goals and routines for herself allows her to handle the pressure of each week. To help manage the week’s stress most Mondays she wakes up early to shower. She listens to music that has a faster paced beat. Morning showers prepare her for the day as well as washes away last week’s pressure. Regularly she blasts music as she showers, getting lost in the lyrics or the beat. Afternoon showers usually are weekends or on her days off. Her hobbies besides art include dance, playing tennis, biking and going to the gym. Afternoon showers come in handy after cycling or heading to the gym. Some nights she uses showers to unwind and relax, other nights like Thirsty Thursday, Fucked up Fridays and Sometimes Saturdays, she uses pop music to amp herself up before hitting clubs, house parties or hanging with friends.

Ainsley dresses boho chic. Her style is inspired by Vanessa Hudgens. Items inside Ainsley’s closet include free-flowing fabrics, distressed denim, bell bottoms, athleisure, boots, birkenstock sandals, bucket hats, blazers, sneakers, heels, fringed cloth with bold patterns, and a wide range of white, black and neutrals to pair with color. Sometimes she purchases clothing made from natural materials.

She has natural material as decor in her home. Her dream home would have exposed beams. But she currently lives in a NYC one bedroom apartment in the east village. The bohemian style is inspired by those who lead an individualistic and out of the ordinary life such as writers, artists, and other free-spirited creatives alike. Ainsley’s apartment decor is a home for her plants, and some vintage furniture with light stained wood. She has white string lights and textured pillows to bring a comfy ambience. Her two favorite plants are Monstera and Calatheas but the ‘medallion’, but she has a Devils Ivy (Pythos) in her kitchen.

Are there fragrances and textures connected with this experience?

All the fragrances are inspired by the Amazon Rainforest.

Morning | The bar soap line I am designing for SOL de Janerio is inspired by their signature Brazilian Bum Bum Cream. The scent I came up with for the mornings is orange, pistachio, and pineapple.

Ainsley prefers to use Regardless Bar Soap in the mornings. It is a great way for her to bring vibrance into the Monday routine regardless of the day / week she had. The soap is also using the ultra-fine sugar crystals and crushed cupuaçu seeds that the original Bum Bum Cream uses.

Afternoon | After biking, dance, tennis or the gym Ainsley uses Love or Lust. The soap is an exfoliant to really remove dead skin and sweat after physical activities.

Night | At night time no matter a bath or a shower Ainsley likes to use Bad Habits. The texture is smooth with no seeds or exfoliant beads. Because she likes routine before going out with friends or inviting them over for a night in, she always gets herself ready for the night with the fragrance of avocado, guava and passion flower.

3 songs | Based on 3 times of day, Morning, Afternoon and Night

Morning | RAYE, Rudimental – Regardless – Orange + Pineapple + Pistachio https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmhqDfsOVV4

Afternoon | 24kGoldn – Love or Lust – Canary Melon + Acai Berry + Coconut

Evening | Ed Sheeran – Bad Habits [Joel Corry Remix] – Avocado + Guava + Passion Flower

CONCEPT BOARDS:

The first one is for the target consumer Ainsley and brand feel
Rebranding Morning, Afternoon and Night soap wrappers.

Rebranding – Morning, Afternoon and Night

Anna C | P3 – Step4 > Deliver

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Anna C | P3 – Step 2 > Define

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RESEARCH:

Why do people sing in the shower?

When you sing you are taking deep breaths, exhales and inhales, which improves blood circulation. In terms of breathing, it’s almost like a meditation session. Weirdly enough when you sing you are not necessarily thinking about life’s pressures.

It is science that when you relax your brain releases dopamine, which can give your creative juice a jump start.

The stress literally washes off of you. Warm water feels good on your body if you have aches. Cold water is great to shock you awake and it is actually better for your skin.

Showers for many people is the only time they are alone. Showers are usually small spaces that provide privacy. Not to mention the bathroom has the best acoustics.

What are the emotions connected to singing in the shower?

It depends on the song. The lyrics can be sad and relatable or upbeat and relatable. Songs are more powerful when a person feels an emotional connection. You can feel safe, sad, confused, content, understood, happy and other emotions depending on a person’s life situation.

What does the experience of bathing bring?

When I think of the word bathing I think bath first before shower. For me bathing is associated with being a child and playing in the tub. As an adult it should be romantic and enjoyable. I associate baths with needing time to actually lay down, light candles and play music. Whereas showers for me are more common and necessary.

But the overall bathing experience is tranquil.

I wonder if it has to do with being conceived. Many women have water births and according to the American Pregnancy Association one of the benefits to water births is that the water seems to reduce stress-related hormones, allowing the mother’s body to produce endorphins which serve as pain-inhibitors.

What are the cultural, social and religious meanings of bathing?

Water in baptisms are seen as an act of trust, purification, and protection.

1500 B.C Egyptians believed those that were clean and applied cosmetics were closer to God, and would assist them on their way to the afterlife.

When researching I found it interesting that the catholic church in the 1340s and 50s had no understanding of germs and believed open pores would allow diseases to enter their body. They shunned bathhouses and labeled them as dens of sin and sex.

In the Western world, the bubonic plague had scared people from being in water, but Eastern countries and religions still maintained unbroken standards for hygiene and cleanliness.

In 1351, King Edward III purchased hot and cold taps of water to be provided for his personal bathtub at Westminster Palace.

The 18th and 19th centuries; is when people started taking health more seriously. Previously doctors didn’t even wash their hands before surgery. Ignaz Semmelweis’ findings on germs in the late 1800s is the reason washing hands became a requirement. Semmelweis discovered no midwives ever participated in autopsies or dissections. Students and physicians regularly went between autopsies and deliveries, rarely washing their hands in between. Semmelweis had his department wash their hands in a bowl of chloride solution to sterilize. He was proven correct because puerperal fever and death totals dropped by the end of the year. However his research was not yet accepted.

Gloves were not common in hospitals or surgeries until late in the 19th century.

Is there a spiritual, psychological feeling? Physical?

The ancient Greeks were the first to develop showers. They had a concept of hygiene because water flowed through led pipes and out over people’s heads. The Romans took the idea and expanded to bathhouses.

What I found interesting was how bathhouses were originally seen as a shared ritual to build human connection and community whereas now we see it as a private occasion. At first I was taken back by this. For the most part people are conservitive.

Anime culture has reinforced the theory of bathehouses being used for human connection and community. My Hero Academia uses bathhouses for women and men as a reward for their hard work and training. The movie Spirited Away uses a bathhouse as the main location of the movie.

Is it a pleasant experience? A happy one? Or…? Is it a ritual? Habit? Necessity?

As a child it might not be a happy experience but it can be made fun with toys! No matter the age I think it is a necessity.

Ritual can be seen in two ways, if you are a person that likes schedules and has a set time of day you prefer to shower that can be seen as a ritual. But ritual in a religious aspect has tradition as a child and as an adult you can make the choice.

It should be a habit and necessity. We do need to wash away the germs on our skins.

Anna C | P3 Step 1 > Discover

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Singles, couples, and small families predominantly shop at Trader Joes’. They have fair prices. Most of the items sold are small package sizes. They are not like BJ, Costco or Sam’s Club, and do not target large families or bulk buyers.

According to Business Insider as of September 2021, “Trader Joe’s average customer is a married person in an urban area who is 25 to 44 years old and earning $80,000”. Although I am not married nor do I currently earn that much, I still shop there.

Trader Joes’ competitors are grocery stores like WEIS, Fairway and Whole Foods, of which are large chains. (www.comparably.com/companies/trader-joes/competitors | craft.co/trader-joes/competitors) Trader Joe ‘s is not a health food chain, although most think it is, because it supplies a large amount of organic options in its stores. Whole Foods Market is associated with being natural and organic. The biggest difference in all 3 companies is that Trader Joes is privately owned, Weis is public and Whole Foods is a subsidiary. Subsidiary means a daughter company, or a company owned or controlled by another. In this particular case Whole Foods was bought by Amazon, and Fairway is under Wakefern Food Corporation. I researched Wakefern because I was unaware of what they did. Turns out they are the largest retailer-owned cooperative in the US. They pride themselves on helping small businesses and are a team of 50 member companies who independently own and operate supermarkets (www2.wakefern.com/).

I was actually underwhelmed by the section they had for cleaning and bathroom products. I shouldn’t be surprised that every trip to Trader Joes’ I see different products stocked on the shelves. At first glance, shelf impact there were four shelves dedicated to soap. Two rows were bar soap and two were liquid (not shown). When I took a closer look, only 4 of the bars were soap. The packaging with a mermaid on it is shampoo. As a side note, when I got home after shopping I researched bar shampoo more. Turns out it’s a new trend. I also give some credit to Trader Joes for creating the soap box in products that are made from FSC-certified forests, recycled materials and controlled wood. It may be hard to notice from the image but there are two primary packaging. The Mermaid Shampoo bar has a top box and a bottom box (www.traderjoes.com/home/products/pdp/068069).

I also noticed how deep the shelf was and the amount of space above the products, followed by color. My focus went to Dr. Bronner’s soap because of the bright royal blue. Center and placed next to Dr. Bronner’s was an Oatmeal Exfoliant that also used a bright blue. Personally, the Oatmeal Exfoliant is my favorite, based on appearance, simple, not overpowering design with clear information. For me there were two negatives to Dr. Bronner’s. It felt overwhelming, text heavy and I was not sure if all the information was needed but it felt like the words became the graphics. Both Dr. Bronner’s and The Oatmeal Exfoliant are printed on paper. You can not see what the soap looks like. The packaging is selling. Whereas the Oatmeal Honey on the left of the image is wrapped in a clear plastic. Maybe their target audience was people who do not like texture in their soap. The ability to see it means they don’t have to describe it on the packaging. Similarly the lavender soap above the Oatmeal Honey, was also in clear packaging. The most obvious difference besides color and scent is the texture in the lavender soap. The label also states triple milled which reinforces texture.

Trader Joe’s Oatmeal Almond Ginger Scent

www.traderjoes.com/home/products/pdp/048065

ALMOND GINGER SCENT OATMEAL EXFOLIANT BAR

This product is $2.99. It launched in January of 2002. At first the packaging was plastic and the soap bar was made in the US with French techniques. Since then Trader Joes has upgraded their packaging to sustainable, gift-worthy, kraft paper and now the soap is being made directly in France.

The French have a specific way to make soap called the French Milling Process, also known as the Triple Milled French Soap (www.naturalfrenchsoap.com/blog/what-is-french-triple-milled-soap). The process has been around since the 18th century. It involves shredding cold-processed soap, running it through three or more rollers to press it, resulting in harder texture and longer lasting. This bar has bits of colloidal oatmeal which provide the exfoliation. According to their site all health and beauty products have never been tested on animals. I do love this, but I WOULD not know this from the label itself. Only from additional research.

I like the overall appearance and the experience the soap brings you. Although I am not against products being made in the US. I think the graphics reinforce the soap being from France. I did research and learned Kraft paper is naturally biodegradable. Kraft paper can be broken down into cellulose fibers that naturally can be absorbed by the environment without a negative environmental impact (www.conserve-energy-future.com/is-kraft-paper-recyclable.php). Some industries are composting their natural packaging Kraft paper. I am not sure if the ink used to print on the kraft paper means it now is not biodegradable. BUT moving forward Trader Joes can implement ink from vegetables.

Dr. Bronner’s All-One Hemp Peppermint Soap

shop.drbronner.com/collections/all/products/peppermint-pure-castile-bar-soap

ALMOND GINGER SCENT OATMEAL EXFOLIANT BAR

This soap is Dr. Bronner’s most popular scent. It is the fragrance of peppermint. It costs $3.79 at Trader Joes which is more than than their Ginger Oatmeal Exfoliant bar. When I went on the Dr. Bronner’s website says it coats $4.79 but is currently reduced to $4.07.

I wonder If I was in the store on an empty day or if Trader Joe’s only sells peppermint. Dr. Bronner’s soaps are all hemp based. Besides peppermint they have additional bar soap scents – hemp baby unscented, lavender, almond, citrus, tea tree, rose and eucalyptus.

What I like about their website is that when you read the product it tells you exactly what they are about, for example: organic U.S.-grown hemp oil for a soft, smooth lather that won’t dry your skin. Biodegradable in a 100% post-consumer recycled wrapper.

The company prides themselves on their cosmic principles 1. Work hard as an overall company, 2. Do right by customers – highest standards for ecological and social sustainability while making sure consumers are not misled and where organic standards are applied to body care just as they are to food, 3. Treat employees like family, 4. Build fair relationships with organic farmers, 5. Not to harm land, people or animals in the making of their product because they treat earth like home and finally, 6.They call themselves the “fighting soap community” because they want to regenerate agriculture, include fair trade, animal advocacy, industrial hemp, drug policy reform, living wages and other community organizations.

As I read some specifics to the things mentioned above I found their packaging information. They do use plastic for some of their bottles but they use 100% post-consumer recycled plastic packaging, bottle-to-bottle recycling and local recycling which reduces bottles shipped overseas = fewer greenhouse gas emissions! Recycling one ton of PET containers saves 7.4 cubic yards of landfill space! Another great thing about this company is they mention keeping track of the plastic industry and already are keeping track of innovative ideas like bio-plastics. Bio-plastics use renewable resources like plants and bacteria to create plastic that would otherwise be produced from petroleum. This technology is still in its early stages.

Trader Joe’s Shelf Impact (Hand lotion & Body Butter)

traderjoes.com/home/products/pdp/050130

COCONUT BODY BUTTER

Trader Joe’s Coconut Body Butter is $5.49 for 8oz. It is not soap but it was displayed in the area next to the soaps. Trader Joe’s Coconut Body Butter was introduced way back in 2012. Their website says It absorbs into your skin very quickly, and doesn’t leave it feeling oily. This particular blend of ingredients is beneficial for all skin types, including if you have eczema or dry skin, or you just like to keep your skin feeling soft and fresh.

When I got home I wanted to research the product for myself. In doing so I found this article:

realsimple.com/beauty-fashion/skincare/bath-body/body-moisturizers/trader-joes-brazilian-cream

Trader Joe’s Brazil Nut Body Butter $6, also known amongst internet fans as Trader Joe’s Bum Bum Cream. According to the article I read about the Trader Joe’s product the base is shea butter and coconut oil which they claim is uber-hydrating and leaves your body feeling silky smooth. It also has antioxidant benefits from açaí and guarana extract, along with fatty acids, phytosterols, and polyphenols that visibly restore skin’s elasticity in just a few applications.

I tried to search for Brazil Nut Butter on Trader Joe’s website and could only find the Coconut Body Butter. According to an article I read it said Trader Joe’s, Brazil Nut Body Butter is only available for a limited time.

They say a difference is Trader Joe’s version does not smell as strong and does not last as long as the Sol de Janeiro. Other than that Trader Joe’s price is cheaper than Sol de Janeiro but it is also a smaller amount.

Both are what inspired me to look into SOL de Janeiro. I discovered SOL de Janeiro does not have bar soap.