YUV® haircolor device
Strategy, naming and brand identity
A true revolution for the professional hair colour sector, YUV® is an intelligent assistant designed to make colour formulation quick, easy and adaptable. YUV® is a connected tool and digital application that enables colourists to delegate the tedious, technical aspects of colouring, allowing them to devote themselves fully to their creativity. It's the biggest innovation for salon professionals since the hair dryer!
Graphéine helped this ambitious, innovative project define its positioning, brand name, visual identity and the art direction of its campaign.
Defining brand positioning
Hairdressing professionals are artists, and colouring is an expression of their art. The main challenge was to design the YUV® brand universe and present it as a tool for professional creativity, combining innovation, technology and environmental awareness.
This positioning is in line with today's challenges, and will enable YUV® to establish itself as a leading brand in the international colour market. YUV® relies on the young generation of committed colourists to initiate change.
Creating a brand name
The visual identity consists of a YUV® wordmark and a separate emblem. The short, phonetically simple name evokes elegance and high-end technical precision. The acronym YUV® led to the brand slogan "Your Unlimited Vision".
The name refers to the YUV digital colour model, in which "Y" stands for brightness and "UV" for the hue component. YUV® is also inspired by the Latin root "iuventus" meaning "youth", a reference to the brand's core target.
Three important letters that create a brand ecosystem that can be adapted to a variety of contexts, uniting a community: the YUVers, as well as an associated product range (YUV® lab, YUV® app, YUV® colour...). YUV® is also the contraction of “you've", as in the phrase "YUV® got creativity". An apt wordplay that lends itself well to expressing the different facets of the brand.
YUV® brand identity design
The sober, minimalist logotype is inspired by the pictographic aesthetics of digital interfaces. The visual similarity of the "Y" and "V", both angular and geometric, frames and contrasts with the rounded "U". The clean lines of the "Y" and "V" hint at technical precision, while the "U" depicts the bowl used by the colourist.
The YUV® emblem represents the initial "Y". Its dotted design is inspired by the position of the cartridges in the machine. The emblem can be used to sign off videos, or when the full logo cannot be used due to format constraints. In order to make the technical aspects easy to understand, we designed a range of pictograms and a series of 3D isometric technical illustrations. These assets are used in the advertising campaign and the instruction booklets.
Typefaces
To complete this visual language, we selected two complementary typefaces.
We used Sharp Grotesk from the Sharp foundry for titles. Its geometric skeleton and rounded junctions make it a charismatic typeface with humanist details. Its open counterforms and tall x-height make it highly legible.
For the body text, we used Mier from the General Type Studio. Chosen for its geometric shapes and legibility, this typeface is ideal for everyday text and technical information.
Art direction of the launch campaign
Graphéine defined two art direction principles for the brand photography. The first presents the models against neutral gray backgrounds, highlighting the colour of the hairstyles. The second focuses on the use of tools by professionals. The shots showcase the use of machines and accessories in the colourists' hands.
At the same time, YUV® focuses its communication on its environmental commitments and, in particular, on its eleven refillable and recyclable cartridges. YUV® is committed to an environmentally-friendly approach, for a more sustainable industry. At trade shows, YUV® showcases the waste generated by the hair colour industry, presenting itself as a revolutionary solution.
Many thanks to Francisco Gimenez for his confidence, and we wish him every success in the international deployment of YUV®.
The entire Graphéine team is proud to have played a part in defining and resolving the marketing and advertising needs of YUV, as well as creating the visual identity for this innovative project in the hair colour sector.
