KraveBeauty is a skincare company that believes the decisions we make should be deliberate. Whether it’s their skincare practice, the way they run their business or the products they produce, the company is built on intentionality and the mantra that choices should hold meaning — nothing’s just for the sake of it.

They’re frequently asked what new products they’re going to be releasing this year. The answer? None. On the brink of a brand refresh, they decided to use 2020 to draw attention to their sustainability initiative and why, in such a fast-paced industry, they’re a skincare brand that believes in slowing down.

In 2019, there were more than 3,000 skincare products launched in the US alone. The global cosmetics industry produces 120 billion units of packaging annually. In a world that’s producing more products than our skin craves, at a faster pace than the planet can take, how do you make slowing down stand out? And how do you create an effective brand campaign that encourages people to buy less?

We needed a campaign direction. Something that would not only draw attention to KraveBeauty’s belief in intentionality but be a movement that people were proud to be part of. Something with longevity that acknowledges that sustainability is a journey, not something achieved or finished. We reached Slowdown Skincare, a nod to the idea that skincare isn’t fast fashion and effective sustainability isn’t all or nothing — it’s getting more people to slow down and make more considered consumption decisions.

We took the visual cues that normally instil a sense of panic or FOMO — limited time only! Get in quick! Don’t miss out! — and flipped them. The juxtaposition of high energy sales stickers with softer, more comforting messaging helped us to reaffirm that KraveBeauty are a skincare company that actually cares. The messaging would be used across a sustainability website and a tee produced in partnership with For Days, a company who produce their clothing from recycled fabrics.

We worked with Benito Martin on a lighthearted photoshoot that mimicked the energy of the sticker graphics. The stickers stuck to the models faces are a literal and lighthearted nod to the fact that the saturation of the beauty industry’s in-your-face advertising is unavoidable, but that it’s possible to take a step back, think about what we actually need, what our skin actually needs and what the planet actually needs before buying.

KraveBeauty understands that, as long as they exist as a company, there isn’t a single day where they won’t have a carbon footprint. We’re honoured to have worked on such an uncommonly humble brand campaign and helped to communicate their promise that they will always try their hardest to cut the excess, be real with their customers, and do the right thing by the planet.

KraveBeauty put together a special page on the website using our assets and direction.

“Universal Favourite are our creative problem solvers. We’ve thrown multiple asks and tight timelines at them but they always manage to turn around detailed proposals on time, every time. With any ask, they bring fresh, thoughtful ideas to the table and create content that feels naturally at home with our brand. From initial ideation to campaign execution, they’ve been effortlessly collaborative partners. They’re one of the team!” Misha Lema, Senior Manager, Marketing & Communications at KraveBeauty