At the start of this project with TricorBraun, Kenra Professional was aiming high: “Based upon the success of other Snail CC Creme products on the market for skin care, they were confident they could push the price point and they wanted to replicate the look of the premium,” explains a press release about the collaboration.
Product inspiration
Kenra Professional’s new product line was inspired by skin care, more precisely by Korean spa treatments that use snail essence as the signature ingredient. “With skin being so similar to hair, we thought it could benefit hair as well. We began testing for multiple benefits such as frizz control, smoothness and compatibility with color,” Stephanie Smith, senior brand manager at Kenra Professional tells the press.
“We tested it with our in-house stylists, friends, family and consumers. Even though initially, the ingredient was strange to many, the benefits it had on hair sold the concept,” says Smith.
The company's leave-in hair treatment product is formulated with the following ingredients (according to the product page on Ulta): Water (Aqua), Cyclopentasiloxane, Glycerin, Cetyl Alcohol, Stearyl Alcohol, Ceteareth-20, Glyceryl Dilaurate, Dimethicone, Benzyl Alcohol, Fragrance (Parfum), Polyimide-1, Sodium Laneth-40 Maleate/Styrene Sulfonate Copolymer, Polyquaternium-55, Dehydroacetic Acid, Glyceryl Polymethacrylate, Aleuritic Acid, Yeast Extract (Faex), Glycoprotein, and Propylene Glycol.
Packaging strategy
The two companies have worked together on hair care product packaging for some 15 years. Working with an established partner on a product collection meant to capture a new market niche had its advantages. Smith points out that “the team at TricorBraun understands our brand, works at the same fast pace that we do; and in terms of design, TricorBraun makes it an easy process because they understand our aesthetic.”
Kenra determined to sell the debut product in this new collection in two sizes, 2.5 fluid ounces and 1 fluid ounce. Oval, aerosol packages signal premium product, according to the press release from TricorBraun and Kenra. So “to replicate the look of the premium,” Kenra selected an “oval-shaped, airless tube package.”
It’s likely that shape and type of dispenser will be used for addition Snail CC Creme products as the line expands. Kenra is already planning a shampoo and conditioner.
Precise decoration
The new Snail CC Creme product line is a distinct collection within the Kenra brand, rather than bearing the Kenra Professional name, this collection is part of the Kenra Platinum line. Beyond that, the snail in the name is a mascot of sorts; and Kenra worked with TricorBraun on a snail logo that will be on each product in the new collection. ”Initially, they didn't want anything that looked too much like an actual snail so what I developed was influenced by the shell shape or Fibonacci spiral – a much more abstract look. Later, it was decided that we collect different options of a realistic snail illustration and in the end that is where we landed,” Molly Fuehrmeyer, Graphic Design Manager at TricorBraun tells the press.
Color selection and color matching was also a decoration issue. After considering nearly 30 colors, “we landed on the blue base color because it had a premium look and stood out on shelf,” Smith explains. And as with each new tube design, things like the location of the die line and how to best place the decoration on a curve had to be sorted out. “We ended up with a combination of silkscreened graphics in white on the front and back and the words ‘Kenra Platinum’ hot stamped in silver on a matte blue tube,” notes Fuehrmeyer.