NIVEA—a brand with over 100 years of history and a deeply rooted global positioning—reached out to Lavernia & Cienfuegos in 2018 to develop an ambitious design project. By then, we had already built experience designing packaging for international brands such as Unilever (Dove, Sunsilk, Rexona), Puig, and Zara. But this time, the challenge—and the level of demand—was even higher.
The first objective was to define a design language that could reflect and convey the values and attributes that give the brand its personality and distinctiveness. A language that would bring coherence across all its packs. A visual system that would allow a NIVEA product to be recognized even without seeing the logo. A guideline flexible enough to adapt to different audiences and needs.
This led us to a deep exercise of analysis and definition around three-dimensional form and its expressive capacity: its potential to evoke, communicate, and speak about the product and the brand it represents.
This language is built from the elements that define form: the geometry of volumes; the type of surfaces (flat, curved, etc.); the connections between parts (cap, neck, shoulders, body, etc.); edge treatment (straight, rounded, etc.); functional design (ergonomics); finishes; textures; and even other cues such as sound, touch, weight, or consistency (rigid or soft).
This first phase of the project took nearly two years and was developed in close collaboration with NIVEA’s marketing and design team.
Once the language was defined, NIVEA trusted us again to develop specific packs. In this stage, it was key to align with one of the brand’s major goals for 2025: reducing plastic weight and increasing the proportion of recycled material.
With this premise—and considering that some existing packs could fit within the previously defined language—two working scenarios emerged:
1 Designing new packs, such as the unisex deodorant stick, the men’s facial cleansing pump bottle, and the new shower gel bottle for NIVEA Men.
2 Redesigning existing packs to optimize aspects such as cost, functionality, ergonomics, or sustainability. In this area we developed the family-size shower gel bottle and the iconic Body Milk bottle. For Body Milk, we designed the full range of sizes (from 75 ml to 750 ml), improving the following areas: a new cap with reduced plastic weight that allows the bottle to be stored upside down to help product dispensing; a new pump also with less plastic weight than the previous one; and a bottle with higher shoulders, giving it a slightly more unisex look while maximizing the labelable area.
This second phase extended for nearly three years of intense work, involving key departments such as category leads (body, face, shower, etc.) and the internal packaging team.
A collaboration that has left a deep imprint of knowledge and learning at L&C.
