Rebranding CeraVe for Gen Z: A Journey to Friendliness, Fun, and Relatability
Rebranding a well-known and trusted cosmetic company like CeraVe is no small feat. With a heritage of dermatologically approved skincare solutions, CeraVe’swww.cerave.com/ credibility and effectiveness are its strengths. However, as the brand seeks to connect with a younger, Gen Z audience, the challenge becomes creating a fresh, modern, and approachable identity without losing its core values of trust and efficacy. Here’s a detailed breakdown of how a world-class design and branding team would tackle this project:
Design Mockup for Cerave
Understanding the Brief: Making CeraVe Gen Z-Friendly
Gen Z is a generation that values authenticity, inclusivity, and individuality. They are drawn to brands that communicate transparently, embrace playfulness, and align with their values. For CeraVe, this rebrand means:
1. Evolving the aesthetic to feel more inviting and vibrant while retaining a sense of expertise.
2. Creating a voicethat resonates with younger audiences, using language and messaging they can relate to.
3. Embracing innovation in marketing touchpoints that appeal to their digital-first mindset. BrandHavan is becoming more and more known for our fresh approach and fast qway of pumping out iterations and deisgns but quickly following the pick 2 mindset when communicating with a client.
Rethinking the Wordmark.
The original CeraVe wordmark, while professional and clean, feels clinical and distant from what a younger generation may want to engage with. To align with a younger audience, we softened the wordmark by introducing a rounded, friendly “C.” Rounded typography naturally conveys warmth and approachability, qualities that resonate with Gen Z consumers who value brands that feel personal and caring.
We didn’t just create a logo and call it a day. We are re-imaging the entire user experience. Including the packaging. making an outer cartridge be fun fresh and intriguing. perfect for a younger Generation.
Color Palette Exploration.
Our initial minimalistic color scheme. Based off their original and iconic blue.
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Messaging: Bringing “Rave” to Life
1. Visual Guidelines
• Color Palette: The guide includes exact hex, CMYK, and RGB codes for the brand’s core colors, ensuring they translate perfectly across digital and print formats.
• Typography: Fonts are chosen to match the elegance and cinematic nature of the brand. The primary font is used for headings, while a complementary secondary font is reserved for subtext or body copy
our go to tagline could be ‘Something new to crave’ loosely based of the Cerave
The letters “RAVE” in “CeraVe” naturally evoke excitement, joy, and community—qualities Gen Z values. We leaned into this inherent wordplay to create engaging taglines and slogans, starting with “Something new to crave.” Here are additional phrases we developed:
• “Skin you’ll rave about.”: Celebrates glowing, healthy skin that sparks excitement.
• “Your daily skincare rave.”: Positions CeraVe as an essential and fun part of daily self-care.
• “Join the rave of radiant skin.”: Encourages community-building around the brand’s skincare solutions.
• “Crave-worthy hydration.”: Highlights one of CeraVe’s standout features: intensely moisturizing products.
• “Raving about results.”: Focuses on product effectiveness and consumer satisfaction.
“The approach to a logo or brand design shouldn’t be firstly ,what is the brand but rather WHAT is the emotion we are seeking to evoke from this word mark”
The Thought Process: Building a Gen Z Connection
1. Research and Persona Development
• We began by understanding Gen Z deeply. What do they look for in a skincare brand? How do they engage with beauty and self-care?
• Insights revealed that they value brands that are eco-conscious, inclusive, and relatable.
2. Balancing Playfulness and Professionalism
• CeraVe’s clinical roots are an asset, so we avoided leaning too far into trends that might compromise its credibility. Instead, we introduced approachable design elements to balance authority with relatability.
3. Creating a Digital-First Identity
• Gen Z lives online, so we ensured the rebrand is optimized for social media and digital platforms. For example:
• Animated versions of the friendly “C” for Instagram stickers.
• Playful taglines integrated into TikTok campaigns.
• Gamified website experiences where users can “rave” about their favorite products.
4. Sustainability and Ethics
• To further appeal to Gen Z, we tied the rebrand to commitments like sustainable packaging, cruelty-free practices, and transparency about ingredient sourcing.
Conclusion: Evolving Without Losing Identity
Rebranding CeraVe for Gen Z is about walking the fine line between transformation and tradition. The friendly “C,” approachable typography, and playful messaging bring a sense of warmth and excitement to the brand while preserving its reputation for quality and trust. This is not just a rebrand; it’s a reinvention of how CeraVe engages with a new generation—turning it from a skincare solution into a cultural phenomenon.
After all, who wouldn’t rave about a brand that makes them feel seen, heard, and cared for?
