2WHEN NIVEA CREME WAS LAUNCHED A CENTURY AGO,

NOBODY COULD HAVE PREDICTED THAT THE SMALL ROUND TIN OF WHITE MOISTURIZER WOULD EVENTUALLY BECOME A CLASSIC SKIN CARE BRAND KNOWN THE WORLD OVER.

2 3

as contemporary and forward looking,

anchored in its rich brand heritage.

Inspired by NIVEA Cremes original round

blue tin with its distinctive white lettering,

a new iconic logo becomes the key

element of the brands overall design

expression. The new NIVEA design

language refl ects the values and heritage

of the brand it is pure and authentic,

says Ralph Gusko, a Beiersdorf board

member who is responsible for brands

and supply chain.

The new Nivea design language re ects the values and heritage of the brand it is pure and authentic

Fast forward to today: more than

100 million tins of NIVEA Creme are sold

each year and NIVEA, the fl agship brand

of German company Beiersdorf, has

diversifi ed into a truly global family

of more than 1,600 products, which

an estimated 500 million women come

in contact with each day. In fact, a

NIVEA product is bought every six

seconds. In 2010, NIVEA was named the

number one skin care brand in the world in

retail value terms by market research fi rm

Euromonitor.

Yet even some of the most trusted brands

need to be updated. To refresh and refocus

NIVEA, the NIVEA team together with

celebrated designer Yves Behar and his

fi rm fuseproject, created a new design

language and expression that they describe

33

4 5

Moreover, the new design language

communicates a unified look and feel

for the NIVEA brand, which had become

diffused over the years, and provides an

easily recognized identity for the entire

NIVEA brand family. Innovative features

include packaging designs and forms

adorned with the powerful blue icon and

a slanted top, which faces the consumer

in the store and at home. With a simplified

and clear design language, the designers

say NIVEA will stand out amid the

confusion and clutter of skin care brands

on store shelves.

In the past there were too many NIVEA

design expressions on the shelf, Gusko

adds. A new product design was therefore

necessary to ensure a consistent brand

appearance that creates a tangible

expression of the brand values.

7

BRAND &DESIGNHISTORY

8 9

When NIVEA Creme launched in 1911, it

was the worlds first emollient skin cream.

In many ways, its stable, water-in-oil based

emulsion invented by German chemist

Isaac Lifschutz transformed the

skin care industry. NIVEA Creme could

be shipped greater distances and last

longer on store shelves. It had a distinctive

fragrance and rich, creamy texture

that provided unparalleled and long-

lasting moisture to the skin. Call it the

democratization of skin care: products

that were once made and sold locally

to the well-to-do were now available

to just about everyone. More importantly,

as a new skin cream with superior caring

qualities, it quickly grew in popularity,

revolutionizing the cosmetics market.

Of course, the NIVEA formula and an

intriguing brand name taken from the

Latin word for snow added to the allure.

The snow-white color and fragrance,

with hints of orange, lavender and rose,

helped make NIVEA Creme a hit. By

1914, the NIVEA name was extended into

numerous products, such as sun protection

and shaving cream, and sales expanded

to 34 countries, setting the stage for

its current global distribution.

NIVEA has a presence, notes Behar, who

recalls the brand from his childhood in

Switzerland. You could say its ubiquitous.

In fact, it is so well known in so many places

that people often believe NIVEA is a brand

that originates in their own country, rather

IN MANY WAYS, THE LAUNCH OF NIVEA CREME IN 1911 HELPED TRANSFORM THE SKIN CARE INDUSTRY.

10

BRAND & DESIGN HISTORY

The brand is regarded as friendly and easy to understand and is associated with feelings of well-being.

rather than in Germany. If youre French,

you might think it is a French brand, Behar

points out.

Not surprisingly, surveys indicate that brand

awareness reaches almost 100% in Western

Europe, and is also extremely high in the U.S.

and countries as diverse as Thailand, Brazil

and Australia.

A unique design contributed to that

recognition and consumer loyalty ever

since the fi rst batches of NIVEA Creme

were sold in yellow tins adorned with swirly

green-and-white Art Deco decorations and

a curlicue script. A redesign introduced in

1925, however, refl ected the simplicity and

minimalism of the emerging Bauhaus design

movement in Europe; the round tin was a

deep penetrating blue with sharp, bright

white angular lettering, a look that would

largely defi ne NIVEA and eventually

become a classic.

As a product, NIVEA meant many diff erent

things to consumers. Research by NIVEA

suggests that the brand evokes strong

feelings about family, love and trust. Quality,

reliability, tradition and honesty are also

mentioned. The brand is regarded as friendly

and easy to understand and is associated

with feelings of well-being.

That is consistent with our modern

sensibility about skin, which is now regarded

as a refl ection of our inner and outer beauty,

as well as our overall health. Because of

this, consumers continually seek new and

innovative products that help keep their

skin looking healthy, fresh and youthful.

THE GLOBAL SKIN CARE INDUSTRY IS EXPECTED TO REACH $90 BILLION BY 2014,

ACCORDING TO MARKET RESEARCH FIRM EUROMONITOR INTERNATIONAL. BY 2015, SKIN CARE WILL ACCOUNT FOR UP TO 45% OF GLOBAL GROWTH IN THE COSMETICS SECTOR.

A GLOBALINDUSTRY

14 15

6.9BEIERSDORF RANKS AS THE FIFTH LARGEST GLOBAL SKIN CARE COMPANY NIVEA is the companys flagship brand; other brands include La Prairie in the premium segment, which focuses on anti-aging care, and dermocosmetic line Eucerin.

BILLION IN SALES

$

A GLOBAL INDUSTRY

Skin care is not immune to shifting

economic conditions, but given the

significance consumers both young

and old place on their skin care regimes,

the sector is resilient no matter the

state of the economy. Analyst Carrie

Lennard, at Euromonitor International,

notes in an online interview that

consumers did cut back and streamline

their purchases during the recession, but

they were also ready to sacrifice other

consumer goods in order to hold on to a

youthful appearance.

Overall, the Wall Street Journal reported in

August 2012, [The] skin care and makeup

industries are growing at their fastest

speed since the recession, driven by strong

demand around the world, particularly for

skin care in Asia. The greatest potential for

growth is indeed coming from emerging

markets such as China, where a rising

middle-class of more affluent customers

is fueling demand.

With total sales of $6.9 billion, Beiersdorf

ranks as the fifth largest global skin care

company, according to Bloomberg News

quoting Euromonitor. NIVEA is the

companys flagship brand; other brands

include La Prairie in the premium segment,

which focuses on anti-aging care, and

dermocosmetic line Eucerin.

With total sales of $6.9 billion, Beiersdorf ranks as the fifth largest global skin care company.

16 17

CHALLENGES

A WELL-DESIGNED PRODUCT IS THE ULTIMATE MESSAGE.

18 19

CHALLENGES

Companies eager to take advantage of

the growing skin care market continue to

challenge leaders like NIVEA. They bring to

market an ever-increasing variety of rival

products and private label brands that

tout claims and benefits similar to NIVEA

products. For its part, NIVEA has continued

its expansion into new product categories,

with the aim of satisfying changing

consumer needs and lifestyles.

But the designs for many of these new

products were not always uniform. Over

time, the simplicity of the blue circular tin

and white lettering morphed into multiple

forms featuring a rectangular logo. Bottle

shapes ranged from asymmetrical to

bulbous and came in colors such as pink,

green and yellow.

As a result, consumers found it difficult to

recognize NIVEA products as NIVEA on a

crowded and cluttered store shelf. Instead

of a consistent design strategy, some of

the original story and great design intent

[of NIVEA], that had distilled the product

to its essence, got lost, Behar explains.

A well-designed product is the ultimate

message and messenger to the consumer.

Design makes the brand, the product and

the packaging distinctive enough to cut

through the clutter so consumers can more

easily identify and pick what they prefer;

when they get the product home,

design helps create an effective and

enjoyable experience.

Given the intense competition in the

global skin care industry, the new design

language is aimed at bolstering NIVEAs

status as an iconic brand that is strongly

recognizable. The goal is to speak to

consumers in a clear, contemporary

and understandable way, in order to

renew emotional connections with

current users and forge new ones with

potential customers.

21

DESIGN EXPRESSION

22 23

DESIGN EXPRESSION

The round blue Nivea creme tin is the timeless symbol for Nivea, which reflects the brand values and its heritage more than anything else

The new design strategy acknowledges

that design conveys a powerful

competitive advantage and drives

business growth. Working with the NIVEA

team, fuseproject designers looked deep

into the companys past to discover the

brands DNA,exploring how the logo

becomes one with the product, Behar

points out. After a rigorous iterative

process, they focused on the round

blue tin as the inspiration for NIVEAs

new iconic logo.

The round blue NIVEA Creme tin is the

timeless symbol for NIVEA, which reflects

the brand values and its heritage more than

anything else, says Gusko. In that sense, it

will imbue the entire product line with the

spirit of the original design.

NIVEA stands for care, trust and reliability

these values have to be transported

consistently across all brand appearances,

including our product design, Gusko says.

Along with the new logo, a predominantly

blue-and-white color scheme will give the

packaging visual consistency. Moreover,

the flexible design language will influence

new packaging forms, including simpler

geometric shapes.

Labeling and graphic elements on the

packages have been simplified, too.

Featuring clear and more functional

communications and dynamic

photographic illustrations like a

refreshing looking water splash the

labels communicate a coherent, honest

THE NEW DESIGN STRATEGY ACKNOWLEDGES THAT DESIGN CONVEYS A POWERFUL COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE AND DRIVES BUSINESS GROWTH.

24 25

message to the consumer about benefits,

ingredients and usage, the designers say,

helping strengthen product differentiation.

Another striking innovation is the

sloping top on some packaging forms. It is

a feature that makes NIVEA not only more

recognizable in stores, but also invites

interaction at home. Taken together, the

innovative shapes and graphics and

slanted top which echoes the new blue

logo provide a more delightful and

human experience for the user.

With the new design language, which will be

rolled out globally across all NIVEA product

categories, Gusko says consumers will see

and experience a holistic brand message,

from packaging to advertising and point

of sale. It is one brand telling you a story

across many product lines that everyone

can understand.

DESIGN EXPRESSION

COMMENTS ON NEW DESIGN

UPDATING A CLASSIC DESIGN IS A NECESSARY BUT OFTEN TRICKY TASK.

THE CHALLENGE IS TO AVOID TAKING AWAY ALL THAT IS FAMILIAR AND POSITIVE ABOUT THE BRAND, WHILE AT THE SAME TIME INTRODUCING FRESH IDEAS THAT WILL SURPRISE AND DELIGHT LOYAL CONSUMERS AND ATTRACT NEW ONES.

28 29

DESIGN MANAGEMENT

COMMENT ON NEW DESIGN

The new NIVEA design succeeds because

instead of radically changing a familiar

icon, the designers at fuseproject

recognized its iconic status and refined

what was there, says Steve Heller, a design

writer and historian. They didnt destroy

what was positive about the brand, but

they are also saying NIVEA is evolving and

moving on and you should come look at

us because we are still relevant.

Retaining the recognition value is critical

because of the brand heritage, with its

distinctive minimalism, strong

unadulterated color, and what Heller

describes as a lovely history. He reckons

that if a consumer sees a tin of that shape

and size, that they do not really need the

word NIVEA. There is a strong graphic

connection, he explains. They are all of

a piece. NIVEA in any other typeface or

color just isnt NIVEA.

That connection is still there, but in a new

and exciting interpretation. They say they

own the icon, Heller adds. Yves Behar

took what we know about NIVEA and

made us see it anew.

30

DESIGN MANAGEMENT

12,600 fewer pallets

585 tons less CO2 emissions each year

15% less packaging

SAVES 585 TONS OF CO2 EMISSIONS ANNUALLY.

SUSTAINABILITY

For design to be truly effective, it must

be deeply integrated into all levels of the

development process. To accomplish this,

fuseproject collaborated closely with an

internal Design Management team that

was established at Beiersdorf to outline

a comprehensive design strategy and a

cohesive design language that would

define NIVEA.

With more than 200 people involved, the

Design Management team included all

departments at Beiersdorf from

marketing to sales, packaging development

to supply chain. As strategic partners, the

team worked with fuseprojects experts

in design and innovation to formulate a

design brief with clear, shared objectives

focusing on renewing all aspects of the

NIVEA brand.

Extensive market research was used to test

and understand consumer reactions. It was

crucial to know if the new packaging design

conveyed the NIVEA brand values, achieved

the goal of easy recognition, and was

a successful visual experience. That

information helped the team devise a

smooth timetable for the introduction and

transition of the new design language in

each category.

An internal Design Management team was established to outline a comprehensive design strategy and a cohesive design language that would define Nivea.

32 33

SUMMARY AND MAIN POINTS

SUSTAINABILITY

The new design and packaging innovations

will also help boost the company-wide

sustainability strategy at Beiersdorf.

One goal is to generate 50% of sales from

products with a significantly reduced

environmental footprint by 2020.

So far, packaging has been reduced by up

to 15% in the 250 and 400 ML bottles,

saving more than 350 tons of plastic

annually. Labels have been reduced by

23% by using a different material and liner.

The new bottle shapes have allowed for

tighter packing, which in turn has led to a

reduction in the number of pallets by more

than 12,000. Optimizing transportation in

this way will provide annual savings of

585 tons of CO2 emissions.

Moreover, all packaging materials are fully

recyclable and all formulas have an average

80% non-fossil ingredients

23% less label material usage

of over 80% non-fossil ingredients. The

majority of the shea butter is purchased

from a supplier who supports sustainable

sourcing and women workers by offering

them direct market access.

As part of the overall 2020 goals,

Beiersdorf is also committed to

reducing its carbon footprint by 30%

per product sold and helping half a

million children through corporate

social responsibility programs.

[source:NIVEA]

34 35

THE NEW DESIGN LANGUAGE HAS BEEN PRAISED FOR REFINING AND REINVIGORATING THE NIVEA BRAND WITHOUT DESTROYING ITS PAST.

36 37

DESIGN

The NIVEA team collaborated with

celebrated designer Yves Behar and his

award winning firm fuseproject to refresh

the brand and create and a new design

language that unifies the look and feel of

NIVEA, making it more prominent and

easily recognizable on the store shelf.

Renewing and refreshing the brand was

necessary because the Beiersdorf design

strategy had not always been uniform as

NIVEA expanded into new products

and categories.

In a highly competitive global skin care

market, NIVEA is using the new design

language to reconnect with trusted

consumers and forge relationships with

new ones using a cohesive, holistic design

that is striking and contemporary yet

anchored in NIVEAs storied heritage.

The new iconic logo was inspired by

NIVEAs original round blue tin and its

distinctive white Bauhaus-era lettering.

A more flexible design language will enable

new packaging shapes and forms that

present a coherent brand message to

consumers with simpler geometric shapes,

the new iconic logo, and an innovative

slanted top on many products.

The new design language has been praised

for refining and reinvigorating the NIVEA

brand without destroying its past, and

letting consumers see it in a new and

exciting way.

There will be a smooth, phased transition

to roll out the new design across all product

lines and categories, as well as new product

launches in all regions and markets.

A Design Management team was

established at Beiersdorf and more than

200 people were involved to formulate,

develop and guide the collaboration with

fuseproject designers.

PRODUCT HISTORY

The new design and packaging supports

Beiersdorfs ongoing sustainability efforts

to reduce the companys overall carbon

footprint by focusing on packaging,

raw materials, recycling and

social engagement.

NIVEA Creme was first sold in a yellow

tin with green-and-red swirly Art Nouveau

decorations; the blue-and-white tin was

introduced in 1925 showing the influence

of minimalist and simple forms that

are carried through in the new

design language.

NIVEA Creme was introduced in 1911 and

helped transform the skin care industry

with the first stable water-in-emulsion

formula, which offered superior caring

and moisturizing qualities and a longer

shelf life.

After NIVEA, skin care became a more

affordable mass-market product that

responded to changing consumer

needs and lifestyles.

The NIVEA name was inspired by its snow-

white color and means the snow white

one derived from the Latin word for snow.

NIVEA Cremes special fragrance is

composed of bergamot, orange, lavender,

rose, lilac and lily of the valley.

NIVEA continually expanded its product

line from the original cream to a wide range

of offerings as science and technology

evolved and consumer demands and

lifestyles changed.

38

BRAND

NIVEA

NIVEA is a global brand in an industry

that is expected to be worth over

$90 billion by 2014.

There are over 1,600 products,

13,000 country adaptations, 11 categories

and the sub-brand NIVEA Men.

An estimated 500 million women come in

contact with a NIVEA product every day.

A NIVEA product is sold every six

seconds around the world.

Surveys suggest that the NIVEA name is

widely known and recognized, sometimes

reaching 100% recognition, and evokes

strong feelings about family, love and trust.

It is regarded as reliable, traditional

and honest.

A century after it was launched, the classic

NIVEA Creme is still a best-seller with

100 million tins sold annually.

MILLION WOMENCOME IN CONTACT WITH A NIVEA PRODUCT EVERY DAY.

500

Surveys suggest that the NIVEA name is widely known and recognized, sometimes reaching 100% recognition, and evokes strong feelings about family, love and trust. It is regarded as reliable, traditional and honest.

BEIERSDORF

With total sales of $6.9 billion,

Beiersdorf ranks as the fifth largest

global skin care company.

NIVEA is the companys flagship brand;

other brands include the premium line

La Prairie, and the dermocosmetic

line Eucerin.

Contact: Jenny Fleischer

Global Head of Design Management, Beiersdorf

Jenny.Fleischer@Beiersdorf.com

Nivea 2012

www.nivea.com