Obagi

In an increasingly crowded skincare space, not all formulations are created equal. Renowned for delivering highly effective, dermatologist-beloved formulas, Obagi is a complete skincare company, designing transformational products that promote skin health—not just today but for many more tomorrows too.

They were the original pioneers in the cosmeceuticals category and came to us poised to redefine it once again.

For three decades, Obagi held the lion’s share of the physician-dispensed skincare market, but over time, other brands and channels emerged to take their place. After a recent change in ownership, Obagi wanted to re-establish itself as the category leader and create new entry points to the brand.

FutureBrand partnered with Obagi to reclaim the category it helped create and inject a new narrative into the cosmeceuticals space, one focused on the future rather than the past. Up until now, many category claims relied on “stopping time” and “turning back the clock” - and yet, the true value of Obagi products has been in changing the outlook of customers struggling with skin challenges of all kinds. We developed a brand idea that brought this fearlessness and optimism in the future to life, knowing that Obagi products are the best in the business.

Obagi wanted to retain the heritage and equity amongst physicians they’d built over time but also understood that in order to do so, they would need to create new product sub-brands. Aligned to a new brand architecture that drove equity back to the Obagi masterbrand, we created a flexible new logo and visual identity optimized to stand out both online and in-store. From the packaging to point of sale, we needed to consider the environments in which these products would live, such as physicians’ offices and online at Sephora. Obagi needed to consider how these audiences shopped and optimize the experience accordingly.

The new Obagi Medical brand and Obagi Clinical brand launched in early 2019. The Obagi Clinical™ product line is sold exclusively on Sephora.com and leverages Obagi’s longstanding legacy of innovation and quality commitment through a suite of products that address a variety of skin issues at different stages of life.

“FutureBrand helped us build a framework and foundation for the future of Obagi. As leaders in the category, it’s important that we continue to push boundaries and move forward. The brand strategy allows us to better serve our legacy business because we are thoughtfully approaching new areas and always keeping the consumer at the center.”