Yes, we use cookies too. They help our website run smoothly.
For: Brand managers and business owners launching a new product in an overcrowded market and looking not just for a logo but for a position that competitors have not yet occupied.
How to Occupy an Empty Niche in the Cosmetics Market: Case Study of Developing the Brand 'and eight'
Manufacturer Arnest was entering a new category. In 60 days, the SICHKAR GROUP team went from a blank slate to a complete system: name, logo, positioning, packaging, brand book.
Project Fact Sheet
Brand and eight
Business Type: cleansing cosmetics, mass market
Scale: a new brand from manufacturer Arnest
Scale: a new brand from manufacturer Arnest
- ChallengeLaunch a cleansing cosmetics brand from scratch in a category where all competitors talk about 'care' rather than 'cleansing'
- SolutionNaming, positioning, brand identity, packaging, brand book. Scope: name, logo, strategic platform, packaging design, guidelines, product cards, offline materials
- ResultBrand ready for production and launch
Timeline: 60 days
Key highlight:
The name 'and eight' works on three levels simultaneously: as a skincare philosophy, as a symbol of cyclicality, and as a visual image.
Results
- In 60 days: a brand from scratch to a complete system, ready for production.
The Russian skincare market operates on a single logic: brands compete on active ingredients.
Retinol vs hyaluronic acid, niacinamide vs peptides. Cleansing in this race has become a technical step — something you do before the 'real' skincare. Arnest saw a concrete opportunity here: a specialised cleansing brand did not exist on the Russian market.
The challenge was non-trivial. How do you launch a brand that talks about something deliberately simple without looking boring next to competitors armed with their scientific vocabulary? How do you create a system that helps customers choose without diving into chemistry?
The challenge was non-trivial. How do you launch a brand that talks about something deliberately simple without looking boring next to competitors armed with their scientific vocabulary? How do you create a system that helps customers choose without diving into chemistry?
Have a similar challenge?
Tell us about it — we will discuss the approach.
Contact Us Tell us about it — we will discuss the approach.
The Challenge: A Niche No One Had Occupied
Arnest manufactures consumer goods and knows how to handle distribution on a national scale. The new brand needed to occupy a specific position, not simply add another line to the category’s existing assortment.
The problem was not the product — the formulations were developed by technologists together with dermatologists. The problem was that a new player has no name, no language, and no communication system. That is where we started.
The problem was not the product — the formulations were developed by technologists together with dermatologists. The problem was that a new player has no name, no language, and no communication system. That is where we started.
Research: Why Customers Get Lost
Analysis of the competitive shelf revealed a pattern: all major players build their assortments around skin concerns — hydration, radiance, fighting imperfections. Cleansing is included in every line as a basic element but is never the main focus. No one says: we are experts in this.
The second insight was even more important. Most customers cannot independently determine their skin type or choose the right skincare routine. At the same time, competitors' complex classifications only increase confusion. The customer is looking for a clear reference point but finds a wall of terminology.
This became the entry point: a brand that makes choice simple, but not simplistic.
The second insight was even more important. Most customers cannot independently determine their skin type or choose the right skincare routine. At the same time, competitors' complex classifications only increase confusion. The customer is looking for a clear reference point but finds a wall of terminology.
This became the entry point: a brand that makes choice simple, but not simplistic.
Strategy: From 'Cleansing' to Philosophy
The position we formulated: and eight is a cleansing expert that helps you understand your skin’s needs without having to understand chemistry. Not an authoritarian advisor, but an accessible guide.
Differentiation was built not through ingredients but through effect. The customer chooses not by skin type but by what they want to feel right now. This removed the barrier of expertise and made choice intuitive.
Brand character: honest, restrained, confident. Not aggressive expertise, but calm awareness.
Differentiation was built not through ingredients but through effect. The customer chooses not by skin type but by what they want to feel right now. This removed the barrier of expertise and made choice intuitive.
Brand character: honest, restrained, confident. Not aggressive expertise, but calm awareness.
Naming: How the Name Was Born
This was the most challenging stage. The cosmetics market is overflowing with names that all sound similar: something Latin, something medical, something about nature. We needed a name that carried meaning and was memorable at the same time.
The insight came from observing the rhythm of modern life. A day is divided into three eight-hour periods: sleep, work, personal time. Each transition requires skin preparation. Cleansing is the transition point between states. It is always first. Always.
Thus, and eight. The conjunction 'and' here does not connect — it indicates the beginning. The beginning of a cycle. The beginning of a routine. '&' became part of the mark even before we started drawing the logo.
The insight came from observing the rhythm of modern life. A day is divided into three eight-hour periods: sleep, work, personal time. Each transition requires skin preparation. Cleansing is the transition point between states. It is always first. Always.
Thus, and eight. The conjunction 'and' here does not connect — it indicates the beginning. The beginning of a cycle. The beginning of a routine. '&' became part of the mark even before we started drawing the logo.
System: A Logo That Explains the Brand
Logo
The and eight mark is built from two elements that read simultaneously: '&' and '8'. Together they form a visual image that rhymes with the name and carries the same idea of cyclicality. This is a rare case where the logo functions as an explanation: see it — understand it.
The and eight mark is built from two elements that read simultaneously: '&' and '8'. Together they form a visual image that rhymes with the name and carries the same idea of cyclicality. This is a rare case where the logo functions as an explanation: see it — understand it.
Graphics and palette
The graphics are deliberately restrained. No decorative details that would read as 'pharmacy' or 'premium'. The turquoise colour was chosen as mature and unconventional for mass market — it creates a feeling of cleanliness without sterility.
The graphics are deliberately restrained. No decorative details that would read as 'pharmacy' or 'premium'. The turquoise colour was chosen as mature and unconventional for mass market — it creates a feeling of cleanliness without sterility.
Packaging
Packaging continues the system’s logic. The bottle is semi-transparent, allowing the contents and texture to be seen. The customer immediately understands what they are looking at and sees that choosing is not difficult.
Packaging continues the system’s logic. The bottle is semi-transparent, allowing the contents and texture to be seen. The customer immediately understands what they are looking at and sees that choosing is not difficult.
Application: From Bottle to Product Card
The system extended beyond packaging. The brand book covered all channels where the brand will exist: marketplace product cards, brand and promotional banners, and offline point-of-sale materials.
For offline, we developed a table tent and a wobler. The principle is the same: not to duplicate the packaging but to complement it — showing a person with natural skin, creating a recognisable image on the shelf.
Want to build a similar system for a new brand?
Contact us — we will discuss your challenge on a free introductory call.
Contact Us
Q&A
It depends on the scope: the number of lines, assets, and depth of the guidelines. The and eight project included a full cycle — from strategic platform to marketplace product cards. We calculate the exact cost per project after a briefing.
and eight went from naming to brand book in 60 days. This is a realistic timeframe for a full cycle, provided the client is engaged in the process and decisions are made quickly.
The name must carry meaning, not just sound beautiful. In the case of and eight, the name explains the product’s philosophy and functions as a visual image simultaneously. A good name reduces the workload for all other elements of the system.
Project Team:
- and eightclient
- Ekaterina Sichkarfounder of the creative agency SICHKAR GROUP
- Valeria KuzmaCEO
- Vero YuvakaevaDesigner
- Ekaterina FilippovaDesigner
Other Projects
You May Also Like:
Book a Free 30-Minute Online Consultation
Following the consultation, we will provide a brief analytical summary and propose solutions tailored to your specific challenge.