5 min read
Celebrities that understand the importance of design
Many ‘celebrities’ (and I say that very loosely) have used their platforms to turn that into an entrepreneurial opportunity. We understand that many of these celebrities will be heavily involved in their brand and some, not at all. But on the face of things from a consumer (and a designer) perspective, here are some celebrities that are doing it right!
Stranger things fans where you at? At the start of 2020, the talented actress launched a skincare and makeup range, Florence By Mills, aimed at Gen Z with a focus on natural and clean beauty. Not to mention, PETA-certified, cruelty-free, and vegan!
The branding is simple and to the point, featuring large-scale logotype plastered over its products, all of which have its signature lilac colour scheme. We know this is for gen z’s, supported by the pastel colour palette throughout its photography by Michelle Monique. It’s stripped back and shot beautifully.
Looking at the Florence By Mills site, the playful design combines animated products shots and bespoke iconography to create fun e-commerce experience. Additionally, the site also contains some really neat innovative features such as virtual try options and an interactive beauty quiz to help guide customers through product selection. I think this is a really relevant and successful brand through its design. It hits the target audience spot on.
From reality tv star, best known for starring in Made in Chelsea, to a self-made entrepreneur, Jamie Laing has used his established profile to create his own gourmet vegan sweets company: Candy Kittens.
Recently undergone a brand refresh to maximise their return on their Shopify eCommerce website, Candy Kittens opted for a light-hearted copy-led approach incorporating its polka-dot pattern which is carried across onto the site. We talked about the emerging design trends of 2021, one of which was the use of classic chunky serifs. This is a perfect example of how this has been used successfully across all platforms, online and offline.
This is one of the strongest pieces of design, both in terms of web, advertising, and packaging we've seen from these bunch of celebrities. We love it.
We’ve all heard of her, Kim Kardashian, best known for the now-ended hit show keeping up with the Kardashians, and I guess marrying Kanye West?! has made an empire along with her sisters. Her beauty line KKW Beauty debuted with crème contour sticks, but it has since expanded to crème lipsticks, eyeshadow, mascara, blush, highlighter, lip gloss, and more.
On the face of things, KKW Beauty site is really impactful with a powerful integrated video on the header with a clear consistency through its colour palette using nude shades.
Keeping it clean and simple, the e-commerce site features minimal photography with clean backgrounds, helping products to stand out and amplify the brand. It's a perfect example of a simplistic, uncluttered e-commerce design with a streamlined experience.
Even sports stars are hopping on the bandwagon with UFC featherweight and lightweight champion, Conor McGregor, creating his own Whiskey brand, Proper No. Twelve.
With a passion for Ireland and Whiskey, McGregor created a blend of sweet Irish grain and single malt Irish whiskey. It is obvious the design and packaging are intended to keep the traditional aspects of old whiskey bottles and stay with its roots, and that's no surprise with the distillery being the oldest on the isle of Ireland.
Although not an e-commerce site, the site offers information on stockists and recipes including the Proper Twelve brand story. It's simple with no unnecessary menus or text to clutter the page. Incorporating the vintage-inspired typeface, it's very expected of such a liqueur brand, but I don't think it intends to be any different, it doesn't want to stand out. It's not groundbreaking but a clean functional design.
The Umbrella singer is another of an array of stars who have dipped into the waters of entrepreneurship. Rhianna, among many of her other brands, created her own fashion label, Fenty, back in 2019 after fashion collaborations with brands such as River Island and Puma.
As with any high-end fashion brand, the branding must follow and this is obvious in FENTY. We can automatically associate the identity with luxury fashion. The logotype is often used in isolation across product details, from zippers to cap branding. In addition to this, it incorporates the Maze – the core logo – which is inspired by traditional monograms that interlace every character of a name.
The site is different from other structured grid designs with the use of asymmetric designs adding intrigue to the page. As with most fashion, photography is important and Fenty's images are second to none. This is a really neat and impactful site, whether you can afford it or not!
Boasting an astounding 11.4 million Instagram followers and on her way to 10 million subscribers, YouTuber Emma Chamberlain is one of many 'influencers' to have used her platform to create her own brand. As a coffee lover herself, she created a relatable coffee brand that would speak to young millennials, like herself.
What we like about this project is its playfulness, mirrored from Emma's personality, and the 4 characters that surround the brand using simplistic illustrations. This is supported by the vibrant colour scheme which flows really nicely with the photography, which is always in colour, shot on film or with a film/analogue-like look including colourful clothing, and a personal and relatable expression. She's even got her own typeface!
From packaging to illustration to advertising to photography, this is a really well-executed project which has translated really nicely across all platforms. As more and more influencers become 'celebs' we're seeing more brands crop up attached to these individuals. This ones a gooden, bravo.
As more celebrities and influencers transform into business moguls, social media and increased online presence has become a significant driving force for business. Many of these 'Celebrities' may have very little influence in the design, but with their name attached to these brands, we think these celebs know what they're doing when it comes to design (or at least their design team does!)
If you're looking to start a new brand project, feel free to get in touch with us.
Hiya, I'm Ella. Brand designer and serial burrito consumer at MadeByShape.
