Facialworks

Content Creation Case Study

Facialworks is a natural skincare company based in Newport Beach, CA that features four retail spa locations and a clean skincare line. As content creator, I refreshed the branding identity and led the company through a complete rebrand to become the natural skincare and facial solution for the modern woman.

Photography

Facialworks lacked native content and a defined photography aesthetic in 2018. Instead of borrowing UGC and influencer photos for marketing, I created native content and clean consistency that emphasized the brand’s marketing goals and color palette.

I transitioned the company’s marketing material through a major rebrand that included new packaging, print, and web material by reshooting everything to be minimalist and vibrant. I wanted the visual personality of the brand to convey the natural, no-junk qualities of the company’s clean skincare line, so every shot needed to be as sophisticated and uncluttered as possible.

I directed freelance photographers in lifestyle branding shoots for airy, natural skincare moments that we used in our rebranded marketing.

My go-to lighting solutions were bare-bulb speed light in-studio (especially on cloudy days,) direct sunlight, and natural window light.

Instagram

The company’s Instagram strategy was to make it feel like summer all year round, emphasizing an ocean teal and using influencer photos to drive indirect traffic. They did not have a designated social media manager, and the team would pull together each day’s content the in a day or less.

When I was given the responsibility to revamp the Instagram feed, I used 90% native content that I either shot or directed, organized product and lifestyle shoots to promote campaigns and upcoming products in accordance to our marketing calendar, and strategized colors and visuals at least 3 weeks ahead of time. I used the scheduling app Planoly to caption and auto-post each post, and managed the community and stories every day.

I saw our follower count rise from 12.7k to 14.1k within a year, from August 2018 to August 2019, which spanned the launch of our rebrand in June 2019. Engagement rose from 1.8 to 3.4% average per month, even as I deleted bot accounts to ensure real engagement.

I found that a balance between giveaways, educational posts, promotions, and skincare humor helped keep different sections of our audience engaged with our Instagram, and tailored future posts accordingly.

Before

After

Logo

The original Facialworks logo was made in 2013 and reflected a value-based skincare company. I helped direct the 2019 rebrand of the logo and branding for a more sophisticated geometric direction that still incorporated ocean-inspired colors and bubbles.

Print Suite

Facialworks needed to implement their new branding and elevate their look for all print assets including flyers, menus, business cards, and complimentary bar facial round gift cards. I refreshed the entire feel to be more elegant and appropriate for premium clientele.

Packaging & Product Names

The founder of Facialworks wanted to emphasize sustainability and reducing plastic waste into the ocean, so we brought the entire skincare line into glass bottle and jar packaging that is refillable at any Facialworks spa location for a discount. These glass bottles included unique watercolor brushstroke designs or geometric patterns.

Each product got a cheeky new name to be fun, fresh, and more modern. For example, the tinted SPF went from Power Protect to Tropic Like It’s Hot, and the active tingling Brightening Exfoliant became Bright + Spicy. The new line became more fun and functional.

To engage with the wellness-minded women of our target market, I designed a yoga mat that we use for events and sell in our retail spas that featured an ocean-teal foam.

Website

Although the 2016 Facialworks website was functional, it lacked finesse and elegance. I completely redid the website and took the structure from the BigCommerce site and refreshed all the content on a new Webflow site that I based off off a template. I also reconfigured the e-commerce structure and new product catalogs with new photos and copy. Each page of the site was more interactive and mobile friendly than the old site.

Before

After

Retail Design

As a content creator I designed murals and oversaw the implementation of the new branding and color palette, which created engaging customer moments for social media sharing. I directed the rebrand of 3 existing Orange County locations in Huntington Beach, Newport Beach, and Dana Point.

I directed the full new branding design of the Irvine Spectrum location which opened in November 2019, including the 16’ mural featuring the quote “Nothing A Facial Can’t Fix” by the front window and brand philosophy window vinyl, which generated significant foot traffic as we introduced our brand into the largest outdoor mall in Orange County.

Outdoor Advertising

We focused on simplicity for the digital billboard designs to introduce Facialworks to the Irvine Spectrum. Incorporating photos of facials in a fun, group setting is important for Facialworks because traditional facials are in solitary, dark rooms, and this company provides a unique alternative facial bar option.