In 2018, Nivea entrusted Lavernia & Cienfuegos with an ambitious 3D design project with a dual objective:
1. Defining a coherent packaging design language
When Nivea approached us, the brand had identified the need to unify its packaging under a visual language that would faithfully reflect its DNA. We studied the company’s history, values, and positioning to develop a coherent formal language that would make its products recognisable even without logos or applied graphics. This involved an in-depth analysis of three-dimensional form, its expressive potential, and its ability to convey both product and brand identity.
2. Establishing visual codes and resources for different audiences
We developed specific visual codes and design tools to segment packaging for different audiences—unisex, family, male, and female—while maintaining consistency with the newly defined language.
With this foundation in place, we went on to redesign a wide range of packaging formats, including deodorants (stick, spray, and roll-on), shower gel bottles, men’s products (jars and bottles), and the brand’s iconic body lotion bottle. Across all these projects, the brand’s commitment to sustainability was a constant priority, reducing the amount of plastic used compared to previous packaging.
The project spanned nearly six years and involved close collaboration with Nivea’s marketing team and other key departments, including category managers (body, face, shower, etc.) and the internal packaging team.
One example of this work is the Oil Control line for the Chinese market. The objective of this update was to deliver a more modern, premium masculine aesthetic while conveying German quality and high-tech scientific expertise through a new structural design. To achieve this, we designed a bottle and a custom dispenser that combine square, robust forms—expressing masculinity—with softer, rounded shapes that communicate care and protection.municate care and protection.
