With more than two decades of combined experience in the beauty industry, Ivy & Elder’s founders set out on their own to pioneer the emerging field of clean hair-care. They turned to ThoughtMatter to design the look of their two debut products: a wave spray and leave-in hair mask.

We reimagined the brand, infusing it with a sense of wonder and craft through the development of custom typography. We then worked with an illustrator to create imaginative, unmistakable imagery that sets the brand’s packaging apart.

Ivy & Elder’s brand mixes sophistication with a dash of mischievousness. Informed by the founders’ interest in Celtic tree astrology, we built a brand story that appeals to accomplished, urbane women for whom not taking themselves too seriously is a point of pride. This inspired a new logo centered on a meandering ampersand that evokes a carefree walk in the woods. The illustration style conjured up for Ivy & Elder’s packaging spikes jewel-toned nostalgia with surrealistic humor, adding levity to affordable luxury.

Organic. Natural. Green. When it comes to hair care, what do these words mean? Based on their professional experience, Ivy & Elder’s founders understood an inconvenient truth behind a lot of modern hair care marketing: not everything in nature is actually good for your hair. Moreover, not every synthetic substance is bad for it, or the environment for that matter. This led to the launch of Ivy & Elder as a clean hair care brand, meant to challenge industry norms. Clean means something simple: good for people, and good for the planet.