Mini Marketing Case Study: Brand-Free Packaging?
Would you strip your product of all branding? No logos, no copywriting, no images. Nothing. Sounds wild, right? But that’s exactly what Outdoor Freakz did with their Nature Royal body wash.
Branding free bottle
Outdoor Freakz, a sustainable personal care brand (think toothpaste, body wash, shower bars), is so committed to its eco-friendly mission that it made the bold decision to remove all obvious branding from its body wash packaging. Why? Because they don’t want to create any new plastic waste.
Instead, Nature Royal body wash features a small, removable label made from sugarcane paper. The paper is made from the fibrous remains generated during sugar production. It is cleverly resourceful and also 100% biodegradable and compostable.
Nature Royal body wash with sugarcane paper label
The remaining bottle, made from recycled plastic, is bright, vibrant, and topped with a crown-shaped lid. This distinct design is enough to prevent confusion with any other products in your shower, but it is void of any obvious branding. This means no ink or glue from sticky labels to prevent recycling it again.
Now, on paper, removing your branding sounds like a marketing disaster. Outdoor Freakz took away the tools that we marketers usually cling to: design, messaging, and identity. However, in this case, the decision builds a stronger brand story than any label ever could. (What’s this? A writer saying that removing the words actually works.)
Bold packaging choices can help products stand out on busy store shelves
It wouldn’t work for every brand, but Outdoor Freakz is standing behind its mission so confidently that it’s willing to challenge the entire consumer packaged goods industry standards. For a company whose entire mission revolves around environmental sustainability, it’s a bold move that speaks directly to their customers. It shows commitment and builds trust. And honestly, when was the last time you actually read the back of your body wash bottle after you bought it? Most of us are too busy belting out show tunes in the shower to read the fine print.
Marketing Takeaways:
What packaging decisions can you make that strengthen your brand’s mission?
Is there a creative way you could make your values impossible to miss?
Sometimes, less is actually more. Especially when it aligns perfectly with your purpose.
