PUBLISHER’S CHOICE | GOLD

Etos Diapers

RETAILER: Etos (Ahold)
BRAND: Etos
COUNTRY: Netherlands
AGENCY: Design Bridge and Partners
CATEGORY: Redesigned Brand

CREDITS:

Heather Svoboda, Design Director, Design bridge and partners Alisa Erin, Senior Designer, Design bridge and partners Carmel Klein, Designer, Design bridge and partners Juliette Tiggelman, Account Director, Design bridge and partners Judith Smit, Senior Client Manager, Design bridge and partners Jeroen Meijer, Artworker, Design bridge and partners Bert Dijks, Artworker, Design bridge and partners Remco Monteiro, Visualiser / Retoucher, Design bridge and partners Aida Kruize, Design Manager, Etos Anouk Groeneveld, Design Manager, Etos Tirza Kok, Illustraties en iconen, Studio Vondst Alice Wolff, Illustraties en iconen, A wolf made

BRIEF:

Etos, a leading Dutch drugstore, sought to rejuvenate its diaper range. The existing packaging featured Woezel & Pip, a beloved Dutch children’s cartoon, but this licensing agreement was expiring. Crucially, this redesign coincided with the launch of significant quality upgrades across the range, improving fit, comfort, and security. Etos aimed to leverage these enhancements to compete more effectively with A-brands like Pampers and private-label retailer Kruidvat. The new design needed to be attractive and ownable for Etos, conveying excellent price and quality without appearing overly premium, resonating deeply with parents. The expiration of the Woezel & Pip license presented an opportunity to infuse the diaper category with deeper emotional resonance and clarity.

Etos’s research revealed that new parents, navigating the tender chaos of early parenthood, are particularly sensitive to images of real babies. The challenge was to integrate this powerful insight without creating a generic design. We needed to craft packaging that visually celebrated precious early moments and provided ultra-clear, easy-to-navigate information to help parents confidently find the right product, trusting it would keep their child comfortable and simplify their own lives amidst the beautiful yet messy reality of raising a baby.

Our redesign aimed to achieve several key objectives:

1. Drive market share: Versus key competitors by effectively communicating product superiority and fostering emotional connection.

2. Communicate quality: Clearly highlight enhanced features, building trust and reassurance for parents seeking the best for their child.

3. Create distinctive, empathetic design: Extend the unique Etos baby range visual identity, balancing affordability with trusted quality.

4. Maximize emotional resonance: Integrate real baby photography in an authentic way that deeply connects with new parents.

5. Simplify navigation: Provide ultra-clear, intuitive guidance for parents to easily select the correct product, minimizing stress.

6. Sustainable second-life: Extending the engaging experience to the bulk ‘maandbox,’ to give secondary packaging a second life. We crafted a narrative of joyful growth and reassuring care.

Our solution featured playful vignettes of real babies interacting with Etos’s custom animal illustrations (created and introduced by us to their baby care range in 2023), their adventures mirroring children’s growing activity as diaper sizes increased. This narrative extended to the diapers themselves: the smallest sizes featured individual animals, evolving into richer scenes with added characters and scenery as children grew, reflecting their expanding world. A bright, color-coded divide on pack fronts ensured effortless navigation and conveyed vibrancy. An easy-to-read navigation panel with hand-drawn icons clearly communicated key benefits at a glance, offering instant reassurance to busy parents. The back of pack focused on functional clarity, providing helpful details for tired parents. Our empathetic outlook extended to bulk shipping boxes (Maandbox), with puzzles and illustrations that offered moments of shared play, making even diaper deliveries a joyful, bonding occasion.

The redesigned Etos diaper range delivered on its promise to deeply connect with parents. Initial pack tests confirmed overwhelming positive reception, with 72% of female respondents finding it appealing, and 82% saying it makes it clear which product to choose. The vibrant and distinctive packaging creates stand out shelf presence and builds consistency with the wider Etos baby care range. By clearly communicating quality upgrades and empowering parents with easy navigation, the new design fosters confidence and trust during a critical life stage.