This is the original branding that I used to hold dear to my heart. This is also the same container I carried in the bag I was burdened with in high school. I recognize it as the classic, but based on all the changes I’ve found, I can only assume that this was not the first face of Warm Vanilla sugar.
My guess, this was around the time when celebrity fragrances were at large. Bath and Body Works wanted to compete with big name brands, so they created look that would appeal to even the most sophisticated shopper. Crazy thing, there’s no brand recognition. You can’t find the words “Bath and Body Works,” anywhere.
Recently, I decided that my car needs to smell pretty, like a girl owns it. I went to Bath and Body Works and was stunned yet again. This is the newest transformation I’ve witnessed.
Every time I get comfortable with a design, they change it. It drives me crazy because it appears as if their name is just an afterthought. I thought that the brand (Bath and Body Works) is supposed to be on the top of the imaginary pyramid of informational hierarchy. The flavors are more dominant than the brand name. I have to wonder why that is. Perhaps, they think that B+BW’s is so popular that the flavors and the company name have become synonymous. To me, I guess that assumption is a correct one. However, I can’t speak for everyone else out there.
By constantly changing the packaging I can guess that Bath and Body Works wants to refresh buyers and appeal to a larger demographic. I personally don’t think the changes add any value to the product. It just makes me angry and confused. They have been selling the same smells for as long as I’ve known what Bath and Body Works is. By appearing in different containers it could make the patron feel like they’re getting something new.
I can’t decide whether the branding decisions are more powerful in the grand scope of things. If the process really does offer a larger scale of readership, then it’s successful. The changes disturb me as a semi regular customer, but not enough to deter me from shopping.
Okay, commercially they win… but I wish they’d stop. It’s annoying.
Okay, this post has taken me completely by surprise.
ReplyDeleteFor some reason... I never would have thought that Bath and Body Works sprays didn't look like the top image anymore. I haven't been in a Bath and Body Works in years, but your description of the top product as the one that everyone had rolling around in their purse in high school? That is how I have always remembered it, too. That's just the way it's always looked in my mind!
I completely agree with you. I really dislike the newest version for some reason... it doesn't read as body spray to me... I think the shape of the package reminds too much of cooking spray.
I think that the middle design is the one that reads as the most high-end. It does remind me of a perfume bottle.
But I prefer the "classic" one at the top. It's the only one that seems like it's not trying too hard to be something it's not. It's not high end perfume, it's just a light body spray. And it's fine like that!
RIGHT!! I just think they're doing way too much. Maybe they figure people will get tired of it because its the same old stuff they're been selling for years. I buy it because I like the same old stuff... *sigh* Money motivates odd changes.
DeleteI can kind of understand the second design from a marketing point of view because it looks more like perfume. Like you said about all the celebrity scents, people might like to feel that they're getting something extra special. I find it strange that the store's name isn't on the bottle though.
ReplyDeleteThe last design doesn't make any sense to me. It looks more like a hair product than a body spray.
I still think the first one is the best. It's the one I remember from when I was younger and make the most sense. I assume most people are like you and like to carry the sprays with them. A small plastic bottle makes more sense than the other designs.
Perhaps the staff at Bath& BodyWorks marketing department is fighting to keep their jobs?...I didn't really know about the label change because the only thing I am "capable" of purchasing there is a gift certificate (I wouldn't dare try to guess as to which of the hundreds of scents they sell is the correct choice). And by changing the package looks, if I were to go there with a description of what to look for, it could further confuse my already challenging shopping experience there. I agree that they should stick to wheat customers can find best, my only guess is the marketing people are trying to show they're still doing something.
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