Brand Identity Revamp: from Trusted Professional Care to Hair Care Rebel

OGX

The Packaging Design that needed to Evolve to stay Distinct

Stylist-founded OGX launched in 2006 as a beauty rebel, with packaging design that shook up haircare with salon-inspired blockbuster ingredients. Its squat, jewel-coloured bottles of shampoo, conditioner, and hair treatments helped OGX rise to the no.4 haircare brand in U.S. mass retail. By 2022, however, supermarket aisles were saturated with competing hair products (from dry shampoo to leave-in conditioner, hair oil, heat protectant, and hair spray). OGX’s once-disruptive edge had dulled: brand awareness slipped, visual identity blurred, and the target audience struggled to navigate ranges.

Kenvue asked Cowan to bring the brand back to life—creating a new brand positioning, refreshed visual identity, and a portfolio-wide packaging design system that would restore distinctiveness, grow penetration among potential customers, and deliver a premium yet accessible experience in personal products.

Our Purpose – Brand Identity Applied

Our purpose is simple: help brands realise their potential through simple, effective strategy represented in brand identity & packaging design. Put another way, we go beyond the brief to solve brand and business problems with shopper insight and strategic capability. For OGX, that meant interrogating what shoppers notice first (form, colour, ingredient cues), how they shop by hair type (from curly hair to straight hair, scalp care, hair growth, healthy-looking hair), and how to translate those behaviours into a system that improves user experience at shelf and online.

What We Did (and Why It Works)

Brand Identity & Visual Language

Shoppers remembered the squat bottle silhouette and ingredient-first storytelling more than the name. We therefore prioritised OGX’s distinctive brand assets in a more sensorial, holistic approach to visual design—elevating what already signalled trust. The new curvaceous brandmark—inspired by the tactility of hair textures—becomes a jewel-like beacon, engineered for recognition across global brands and formats.

Packaging Design System

Front-of-pack had become busy and unapproachable. We designed a clear, streamlined design system that keeps “what makes OGX, OGX” (distinctive brand assets) while improving product standout, navigation by hair care essentials and digital legibility. The system spans everyday shampoo and conditioner to dry shampoo, leave-in conditioner, hair masks, hair wax, hair colour/hair dyes and heat protectant—making it easier for shoppers to choose by benefit, hair type, and occasion (e.g., wet hair styling vs. day-two refresh).

Colour Palettes & Style Guides

We introduced a Masterbrand teal colour with gold accents—leveraging equity from the Argan Oil bestseller to create a strong brand block in busy beauty aisle. Updated brand guidelines and style guides to define typography, photography crops and content creation rules for consistency across SKUs, retail activation and social media.

Tone, Copy & Story Architecture

We moved OGX from light-hearted trendsetter positioning to premium trusted trailblazer, using a benefit-first story arc that links ingredients to visible results (healthy hair, shine, strength) and concerns (damage, dryness, frizz). This aligns the design process with a comprehensive brand strategy—clarifying choices and driving conversion.

How We Do It (The Cowan Way)

Insight-led strategy: We map category codes, product benefits and competitor cues to build compelling communication frameworks—so shoppers locate the right benefit fast.

Collaborative, multi-stage design: A rigorous + creative method (insight, behaviour, data + magic, design, breakthrough thinking) that protects the big idea while simplifying the range experience.

Repeatable outcomes: Our case studies (from beverages to beauty) show a proven track record of brand building that grows penetration and brand awareness on a global scale because we use a methodology that frees up our creative flow to be focused on the strategic design impact.

Digital Shelf & DTC Readiness: OGX must win in-store and in search. We optimised hierarchy for thumbnails, e-comm tiles and website design requirements—ensuring clarity for search engine results and retailer PDPs. We also provided guidance for CRM touchpoints (e.g. marketing emails, marketing text messages, cart reminders, promo codes) and compliance (privacy policy, cookie policy, terms of service, fair disclosure on data rates and msg frequency). This ensures the same brand management rigour applies from shelf to screen, giving OGX a competitive edge in digital marketing services and retail media.

Results: A Coherent, Agile Identity That Drives Choice

Recognition up: Elevating the brandmark and colour palettes increases instant recognition and creates a bolder, premium brand block.

Navigation simplified: Clear benefit signposting by hair type and need state (repair, moisture, smooth, volume) improves range shoppability for potential customers.

Performance ready: Assets are built for speed (retail & e-comm), with a visual identity flexible enough for content creation, seasonal drops, and new brand innovation.

Commercial intent: The system is designed to influence real-world choice—improving findability, reducing friction, and supporting brand marketing and brand positioning across channels.

Why Cowan

Cowan is a global branding agency and branding partner with years of experience and a global perspective across numerous industries—with particular depth in FMCG beauty and personal products. Our creative team blends strategic thinking with award-level craft to deliver strong brand identities for iconic brands and ambitious challengers. From brand identity development & strategy to packaging design, retail activation and web design, our services help businesses translate insight into informed decision-making and measurable growth.