Ocoa
Finding the soul hiding in plain sight for an hermanas-based brand
Category: Specialty hair care
Services: Branding, packaging
Brand strategy: Julie Kucinski
Design: Abby Haddican
Product photography: Abby Haddican
The situation
Curly hair care has long been dominated by tacky products - literally and figuratively. Two sisters had a line that filled a necessary niche for non-Afro Latina curls. But their naming, brand and packaging did not live up to the rave reviews, elegant product experience nor their aspirational, culture-centric vision.
The strategy
“Authenticity” is often name-checked in marketing yet rarely seen. Here the excavation process struck gold. The founders’ stories, homeland, family photos and genuine community of fangirls provided fertile ground for a story that set off a legitimate community frenzy.
Key ideas:
#BorntoBe & hermanas
Working closely with the founders, we built a crystal-clear brand strategy based on truths in market, product, beauty culture and the Latina experience. The journey of learning to embrace your natural curls in a world of straightening aligns with the journey of Latina self-love. Hermanas and born to be became rallying cries and identifiers for a powerfully connected fan base. From before-and-afters & how-tos to the duality of being a Latina in America, founders Cory and Nicol are building a power brand that holds Latinas but halos to other women seeking an elevated and elevating brand.
