CASE STUDY 1: GLOSSIER. - MARKETING AND DESIGN

Project Overview

Glossier. - A Marketing And Design Case Study

For Client: Glossier.

Glossier, a skincare brand, is launching an eco-friendly range of beauty products in the United States, reinforcing its commitment to sustainability, inclusivity, and diversity.

The initiative requires comprehensive support across branding, packaging, and digital marketing to ensure the new line establishes a distinct yet complementary identity within the Glossier portfolio—a marketing and design case study.

Scope of Services

1. Branding Strategy: Development of a distinct branding strategy to differentiate the new eco-friendly range from existing product lines, while preserving Glossier’s recognizable aesthetic and brand equity.

2. Packaging Design Concept and design of eco-friendly primary and structural packaging, combining sustainable materials with a subtle vintage–modern aesthetic that reflects both environmental consciousness and appeal.

3. Digital Advertising (Google Display Ads)Design and production of display advertisements to support the product launch campaign, optimized for brand consistency and aesthetic impact.

Digital Marketing Requirements:

• Competitor Analysis: A detailed review of competing brands within the sustainable beauty segment to identify positioning opportunities and differentiating factors.

  
  

• Campaign Development: Creation of marketing and display advertising assets for the flagship product, Setting Powder, including taglines and key phrases that attract consumer attention at the awareness stage of the AIDA model.

  
  

• Brand Continuity: Extraction and incorporation of Glossier’s existing brand fonts from their official website for the initial campaign materials. This approach generates aesthetic familiarity and ensures a seamless transition for consumers into the new eco-conscious sub-brand identity in subsequent campaigns.

Design Rationale & Reasoning:

Branding

Fonts

To uphold simplicity and consistency in branding, a maximum of two fonts was selected. Limiting the number of typefaces is essential for maintaining a cohesive aesthetic identity. Consistent typography across the logo, website, packaging, and advertisements enhances brand recognition and recall.

Excessive font variation can create a sense of inconsistency and clutter.

A carefully chosen, limited font system establishes a clear hierarchy, defining fonts for headlines, subheadings, and body text, and thereby improves readability and user experience.

A constrained selection also streamlines design management across both digital and print media, ensuring consistent presentation across websites, social media posts, presentations, and billboards.

Although this approach is generally recommended, font selection remains subjective and may vary depending on industry, target audience, and business scale.

Guidelines:

• One distinctive font family for the logo (for memorability and brand identity)

  
  

• One complementary font for headings

  
  

• One legible, minimal font for body text

This rationale guided the choice of Barlow Semi Condensed and Open Sauce, which complement each other aesthetically—ideal for a brand that emphasizes an eco-friendly, modern, and approachable image. Barlow Semi Condensed serves as the headline typeface, while Open Sauce is used for body text; both belong to the Sans Serif family.

These typefaces offer exceptional legibility and versatility, making them suitable for:

• Packaging (ensuring clarity at small sizes)

  
  

• Web and social media platforms (providing a clean, screen-friendly aesthetic)

  
  

• Printed materials (maintaining balance and aesthetic harmony)

In addition, Bodoni FLF was incorporated alongside Barlow Semi Condensed and Open Sauce for thumbnail logos. These fonts were selected to ensure prominence and readability in display advertisements. The resulting logo system projects simplicity, modern sophistication, and memorability, reinforcing credibility and consumer trust.

Aesthetic Packaging Design (Aesthetics)

For packaging, an elegant floral motif is recommended, consistent with the aesthetics and color palette presented in the Pitch Deck and Campaign Brief. Soft, muted floral and green tones were selected for their ability to evoke positivity, enhance mood, and suggest freshness and natural appeal.

The underlying concept aims to inspire consumers to associate the products with skin as soft and smooth as flowers and petals, while reinforcing the brand’s commitment to natural, eco-friendly ingredients and sustainability.

Ample whitespace and subdued tones were incorporated to ensure aesthetic balance and broad appeal across both retail and online environments. The muted floral elements provide contrast without overwhelming the design, ensuring visibility and aesthetic harmony.

The shade #FAF7F5 was chosen for whitespace—a warm off-white with subtle hints of cream and blush—aligning perfectly with an eco-friendly beauty brand. The pairing of Barlow Semi Condensed and Open Sauce against this tone prevents the layout from appearing overly digital, adding warmth, depth, and improved legibility. This palette complements earth tones, greens, and soft neutrals effectively.

The design performs consistently across print and digital formats, providing excellent contrast and minimal glare. The combinations of #EFEBE5 and #EDE6DD with #FAF7F5 offer an aesthetically balanced palette suitable for text boxes, highlights, and layered backgrounds.

Structural Packaging Design

Drawing on extensive industry experience in sustainable personal care product development, biodegradable materials are recommended for retail boxes and custom pouches, allowing for a seamless combination of functionality and aesthetic appeal. Suitable materials include Kraft, bio-laminates, and recycled paperboard.

For primary packaging, two options were presented:

1. Compact glass jars with metal lids and clasps, featuring a built-in mirror for powder-based products (foundations, bronzers, highlighters, and setting powders). To align with ergonomic and minimalist principles, an eco-friendly, biodegradable, skin-safe sponge applicator made from plant-based materials was proposed for a smooth, airbrushed finish. The client opted instead for a natural sea sponge applicator, which performs comparably.

   
   

2. Dual-compartment jars designed to hold multiple product types (e.g., bronzer and highlighter) for increased convenience, minimalism, and user efficiency. The client ultimately selected the first option—individual containers—which also offers commercial advantages.

   
   

Please refer to the accompanying presentation for detailed mock-ups of primary packaging, competitor analysis, and marketing display concepts, including taglines and phrases catered to attract consumer attention at the awareness stage of the AIDA model.

Disclaimer:

Deepika Sriraman conceptualized this case study based on a marketing brief she received for a Display Ad assignment for Glossier at Columbia Business School.

The competitor analysis for Glossier was included as a mandatory component of the assignment brief and was not intended as a personal critique. Deepika Sriraman utilizes products from Bare Minerals and various other brands, and she endorses them accordingly.

With a decade of industry experience, Deepika Sriraman previously developed her own line of handcrafted personal, self-care, and cosmetic products made sustainably with eco-friendly, natural ingredients and environmentally conscious packaging.

To honor Sheru The Cat, also known as Sherkhan, who was brutally and cruelly murdered on March 7th, 2025, for no fault of Deepika Sriraman or Ubu The Cat, AKA Bagheera, a picture of Sheru is included in slide 8 of the presentation pitch deck. Sheru and Ubu are her adopted cats and were never and are not associated with anyone or anything, whether fictional or otherwise.