Champneys - Product Primary Research.

The other day I visited some cosmetics shops in order to see what the current competition on the market would be. I also saw some more examples of the Champneys packaging that is on shelves at the moment.

When viewing the Champneys products I found that there was a lot more variation than I originally thought, this is mostly in regards to colour as the general design aesthetic remains quite consistent. Gold is a very common theme throughout, in some cases it works well but with particular colours it can look quite garish. I feel that the use of gold is to give a luxury and expensive aesthetic, however I feel that it can also make the design look slightly dated. I was glad to see a selection of gift bags as this proves that if we were to create one it would be relevant and fit with the brands current product selection. I find the point of sale, promotional poster above the collection to be very uninspiring. It seems very dull and does nothing for trying to connect with a younger target audience.

I briefly looked at the body shop window display that was showcasing the new scent for the new season. Colour has played a very important part in this range from the packaging, promotion and window displays. This is the case with all the different scents so it makes it easy to distinguish between them all. I feel that the advertising for this particular collection is really clever and I feel something similar to this would be suitable for the audience we will be targeting.

I feel that this example below is far too girly for what we are aiming to do. Even though we will be targeting young women I think this could be a little over the top and doesn't give off the contemporary look we are looking for. It also appears quite cheap due to the sickly colour palette and over the top accessorising bows.

The aesthetic of this packaging is more appealing yet I still think the colour palette is a bit too sweet and doesn't have enough bold contrast. I really like the choice of type and feel that it could stand alone, as at the moment it is getting overshadowed by the decorative logo and 'stamp' design.

The colours of these bottles are very intense and they are made even more so by the metallic lids. I feel this paired with the very flamboyant imagery creates a lot of impact. The bottles do stand out on the shelf and do shout at the consumer however I feel that they don't scream quality or luxury.

This packaging plays on the popular trend of the vintage flowers and does have a very cute appearance, especially when put against the polka dot print. The colours are very complimentary and also match the illustration style very well.

This design theme is based around the names of the products and their play on words. For example the product 'smooth moves' has an image of a chess piece etc. I feel this is an interesting idea and I like how the names are creative as they will appeal to the audiences humour. However I feel it could have executed to a higher standard.

There is a lot going on with this packaging from multiple textures and a large variation of typefaces. I feel like the toe is very distracting as none seem to fit with the other choices as the all seem to be fighting for attention which makes the hierarchy unclear.

I feel that this is the most successful example so far as the design is a lot more simple and contemporary. The colours used are similar to previous examples that I haven't liked, although with this design aesthetic the work so much more successfully. Because the branding isn't overly feminine it can pull off being mixed with girly colour tones.

I love the simplicity of the product packaging of these examples. I love the crisp white and how the pop of pink adds a great contrast. I feel the clear and white colour of the product itself is also successful as it makes it seem very fresh and natural and continues the strong colour palette. I feel the overall outcome would have been better if the outer packaging was as simple as the inside.

Next is Soap & Glory that plays very strongly on the vintage aesthetic. The type and image are very in your face but the product can pull it off due to the clever way it has been done. The black and white photographic images are also very quirky and eye-catching. This is another product that uses the play on words approach, although I feel that it is much more successful here, as the sayings have been documented in much more playful and original ways.

There were only a few Burt's Bees products but the quirky illustration really drew me in and I found them to be very engaging.

I feel the main competition for Champneys would be Sanctuary Spa as the products are the most similar and it also has the 'spa' link. At the moment I feel that the 16-25 age range would be a lot more attracted to the Sanctuary collections due to the more modern aesthetic. This brand also had tester samples which could be a good way of attracting new custom.