Almighty's branding for Joonbyrd redefines wellness with a nostalgic charm

Headquartered in London, Joonbyrd is a company focused on creating skincare, wellness, and lifestyle products that promote emotional well-being alongside physical benefits. Founded by dermatologist Dr Alexis Granite, it aims to create a new category called "Affective Wellness", which combines beauty and skincare with emotional and mental well-being in body care products such as body wash, lotion, scrubs and serums.

Joonbyrd uses science-backed ingredients that are effective for the skin, but they also put a big emphasis on making the experience enjoyable. Their products have playful names, sweet scents, and pastel colours. They avoid harsh chemicals and are vegan, sustainable, refillable and cruelty-free.

To bring this vision to life and solidify its position as a pioneer in the evolving beauty and wellness industry, Joonbyrd turned to Almighty. Based in Chichester, this full-service branding and packaging design studio describes itself as "a small but mighty design studio dedicated to creating feel-good brands willing to be brave".

Brand concept

Almighty's approach was based on recognising that people are now spending more thoughtfully on beauty due to an abundance of unused products and a rising cost of living. Instead of impulse buying, they invest in fewer, more luxurious products that offer a more profound emotional experience.

As founder and creative director Matt Burke explains: "We're witnessing a revival of the sentimental allure of the past in the beauty industry. In uncertain times, nostalgia offers solace. It transports us to simpler moments, sparking feelings of security, joy and warmth. Beauty products, with their distinct scents and textures, can provide a powerful grounding experience."

This is evident in several beauty launches that have tapped into that wistful longing for happier times. In 2020, Lancôme, following consumer demand, brought back its iconic 'Juicy Tube' lip glosses after discontinuing them in 2018. And Estée Lauder created a limited edition of its retro blue packaging in 2021 to celebrate its 75th anniversary, which sold out in days.

Here, Joonbyrd's brief was to inject joy and fun into the beauty and wellness category. The company wanted to shake up the category by giving users an immersive experience.

Challenged to achieve a harmonious balance between credibility and desirability, Almighty developed a brand identity that evoked a sense of playful wonder and would stand out and sit proudly on bathroom shelves.

After trying various visual routes, it was clear that Almighty had to reject the ubiquitous clinical, minimalist aesthetic of results-driven beauty to carve out something more captivating. In a category often dominated by minimalism, it wanted to connect users with the products on an emotional level.

Almighty revisited the strategy, and after a deeper discussion with Alexis, it settled on the idea of "credible nostalgia." This became the north star of Joonbyrd's identity: a joyful, maximalist aesthetic started to form.

Imagery, colours and icons

Diverging from the crowd, Almighty actively avoided using lifestyle photography. It collaborated with creative studio Illo to create a series of psychedelic and slightly surreal imagery that felt more like a journey of discovery, where you want to delve deeper into exploring – a bit like Alice peering down the rabbit hole.

"Our vision for Joonbyrd was a visual, magical, sensorial world — a playful, 'Alice in Wonderland' kind of trippiness that captured the origins of Alexis childhood memories playing with her grandmother's lotions and potions and inhaling their sweet scents," says Matt.

The rich, playful candy colour palette is paired with the signature 'JB' pattern that wraps around the product bottles and cartons, echoing the throwback appeal of the 60s and 70s. Its lava lamp-like fluidity became a theme for the brand and a truly ownable device for packaging and beyond.

To reinforce Joonbyrd's commitment to science-backed, results-driven skincare, Almighty crafted a set of four icons representing the brand's core pillars: Hardworking Actives, Microbiome Support, Botanical Extracts and Functional Enhancers. These icons visually communicate the brand's dedication to creating products that are both innovative and kind to the skin.

Packaging and illustration

Central to the brand's appeal is the custom-designed, refillable glass bottle. Developed in collaboration with Alexis, this tactile and visually distinctive container showcases the product while remaining environmentally conscious and made from glass. The silicone sleeves, or "bumper", as Almighty calls them, add a layer of protection and customisation, making each bottle a personalised statement.

Adding to this concept of individuality, Almighty collaborated with Minnesotan illustrator Lindsey Made This to design wearable charms that can also be used to personalise the bottles. This is yet another way to celebrate the joy and fun of beauty while creating a deeper connection between the user and the brand.

Other key collaborators on the project include Superrb for web development, Steelworks for 3D renders, 48.1 for photography and art direction, and Ginni Joie for 3D animation.

Joonbyrd has made an immediate impact, with the Sunday Times Style magazine labelling the branding as "the most upbeat packaging out there".

Dr Alexis Granite, founder of Joonbyrd, adds: "We were trying to bring to life a new beauty and wellness brand that communicated both clinical expertise and joyful nostalgia. Almighty was instrumental in exploring several different avenues until we landed on the very heart of the Joonbyrd brand. We have been so thrilled with the outcome, and we're looking forward to continued collaboration as the Joonbyrd world grows and we launch new and exciting product categories."