So far, when someone mentioned the word nerd, we would usually associate it with “a foolish or contemptible person who lacks social skills or is boringly studious” or “a single-minded expert in a particular technical field”. Both of these are not really flattering descriptions of someone whose image was usually accompanied by a face full of pimples. Creative and brand design agency Pearlfisher has decided to change the face of NERD.
The revolutionary skincare brand NERD started a radical innovation in skincare by tailoring their products to encompass the ever-changing facial microbiomes, but unfortunately the company felt their current brand expression did not truly reflect their pioneering spirit and expertise. Together with Pearlfisher they want to ‘demystify and clarify’ NERD’s science-based proposition and steer them through the treacherous waters of the beauty sector and present them as an expert beauty brand that is capable of creating revolutionary personalised skincare products for demanding consumers. Evelyn Chen, Founder & CEO NERD, explained: “We are tapping into the science of the microbiome, and with that we’ll be able to create 21st-Century beauty products. We are shifting skincare perspectives and Pearlfisher has given us a design that not only communicates the current offer beautifully and effectively but also shifts the language of beauty to help drive this communication and our evolution forward.”
The range of skincare products symptomatically called NERD wants to fight acne by “leveraging the unique properties of an individual’s microbiome” and by taking into account that there is not one type of skin to produce an effective treatment. NERD skincare created carbon-based molecules that encourage the helpful bacteria S. epidermis to fight p-acne and reduce its growth and skin inflammation. The brand identity forms ‘a scientific and precise language to highlight the company’s position at the convergence of beauty and science.” The pink and bronze colours provide a warm and personal feeling that is still progressive and as Poppy Stedman, Design Director at Pearlfisher, describes: “The current world of skincare science is largely superficial and clinical but NERD is about expressing the real beauty in science. We needed to move the brand forward by creating a powerful, unique and enduring new language that captures this new standard in beauty. The logo is broken into core elements with each element forming a unique binary code for each product.”
Credits:
Founding Partner and Chief Creative Officer: Jonathan Ford, Pearlfisher
Design Director: Poppy Stedman, Pearlfisher
Designer: Lucy Roberts, Pearlfisher
Strategy Business Director: Jack Hart, Pearlfisher
Account Director: Joanna Peirce, Pearlfisher