Brand Case Study

Fluff

Meet the new Australian cosmetics brand

redefining what beauty means for the Gen Z
consumer.

Fluff
 Analysis "Fluff is for anyone who thinks that the world doesn’t need
more products, just better products. Anyone who’s sick of
bunny testing. Anyone who can’t understand why make-
up isn’t vegan. Or why there’s palm oil in everything.
Anyone who is over ‘empowertising’ from faceless brands
Erika Geraerts founded Fluff after walking away
who don’t care. Anyone who thinks that the future can be
from Frank Body, a highly successful $20 million better than what we have right now. Anyone who thinks
skincare company she had also co-founded. that beauty can be more than make-up."
Focusing her preemptive research on Gen Z, Fluff – Erika Geraerts, founder of Fluff
was created around the idea of minimising
beauty products and simplifying routines – and is
already being touted as the “Glossier for Gen Z”
and the “Patagonia of the beauty industry”.
"What we believe Fluff is doing differently, or
successfully, is that instead of telling our
audience what to think, we ask them what they’re
thinking," said Geraerts in an interview with
WGSN. "This type of relationship takes time to Fluff

build; it is intimate when the internet does not

allow for intimate, real connection. It is, however,
enduring. We believe slower is faster in the long
run."
The DTC brand, which sells its products online
and in its Melbourne Studio, has been focusing on
Australia as a testing ground for the last 18
months. According to Geraerts, as the demand for
the brand builds up in the US and Europe, plans to
expand in those regions will roll out in the next
two years.

Fluff Fluff
 The Gen Z Whisperer
From its inception, Fluff has included,
represented and served young generations,
using Gen Z as a guiding voice to develop the
brand. During the two years leading to its
launch, Geraerts and her team interviewed
members of Gen Z by way of Tumblr, Facebook,
YouTube, Reddit, Instagram and Snapchat.
Conversations were also organised in person
with focus groups to further understand Gen Z’s
passions, troubles, priorities and to get their
opinions on what they wanted from make-up.
This research was documented and made
available to the public. Pushed out via
newsletters and later stored on Mailchimp in a
folder titled 'Email Campaign Archive', Fluff’s
founder openly shared her notes for all to see –
a mix of data points and reflective ponderings
interjected with GIFs, emojis and stickers – all of
which echo some of the ways in which Gen Z
speaks.
Fluff’s use of casual and playful phrasings on
its Twitter feed, and its use of Tumblr as a
community building platform, is mostly
driven by and for Gen Z. Instead of paying
personalities or creating flashy posts for
Instagram, Fluff uses social media to compose
fun and moody memes. The brand’s It's All
Fluff YouTube channel is equally wholesome,
spotlighting crowdsourced self-appreciation
and tutorial videos with names such as
Feelings Everyday or Shelby’s Beauty Issues.
Fluff Fluff
Alongside a themed section on its website
called Got Issues?, where users share posts
such as “Why Does Nobody Likes Yellow” and
“How to Stop a Recurrent Dream”, Fluff also
produces a semi-regular zine with articles by
Gen Z writers. “The Issues platform has been
compared to Rookie Mag,” Geraerts told
WGSN. “It is an incredible compliment and
with it comes a sense of responsibility. No
other beauty brand is doing this – allowing
their audience to share, converse, vent about
the good and the bad, the insecurities and the
confidence they have in themselves, their
peers, and brands.”
Fluff
 A Feelings-Focused Brand
Emotion is an important underpinning to Fluff's
narrative and overall branding strategy. While
the product design and packaging is crucial, the
most central focus is how the customer feels. At
a time when mental health issues are a topical
point of mainstream discussion, and
insecurities are heightened by social media, the
brand is encouraging consumers to be in touch
with their feelings by providing them with a
platform to discuss and share with others.
The brand, among other community building
platforms, created a 1-800-4-FLUFF hotline,
which girls were motivated to call “when bored
or lonely”. Within Fluff's universe, the helpline is
presented (and perceived) as a legitimate outlet
rather than a marketing stunt, further extending
an aura of genuine care and authenticity
around the brand.
Another noteworthy initiative was Selfiesteem,
which addressed and
explored how potentially detrimental
selfie culture can be, especially to teens
and young adults. In Geraerts' words, with
Selfiesteem, "we wanted to turn the selfie on its
head and move it from an auto-pilot response
to social pressures, to an empowered stance
and discussion around self. That sounds like a
mouthful, and it is, yet the harmful impact of
social media on both young and older
audiences is studied and documented now in
such abundance that it’s not something we
(especially brands) can ignore."
The brand's merchandise also boasts this
feelings-focused concept. Alongside its
growing range of beauty products, the brand
offers another line, Stuff, which includes a
combination lock, a series of Mood Tees
showcasing positive catchphrases such “Felt
Cute, Might Delete Later” or “I'm Prettier Now
That I Don't Care”, and bright yellow Magic
8Balls that “continues to encourage asking
questions”. This merchandise is intended to be
"things that keep our customer company
outside of their make-up bag," said Geraerts,
and "that means our customers can literally
wear their heart – and values – on their
sleeves".
@itsall.fluff
 Creating Hero Products
Fluff's initial two-product range stands out for The brand also takes a similar approach when
its 'less is more' take on make-up. "Fluff is for designing packaging, applying the same
anyone who thinks that the world doesn’t need amount of care and attention to detail as the
more products, just better products," said beauty product itself. Avoiding the cost-
Geraert. efficient choice of using generic recipients or
containers, Fluff produces original products
As part of its mission to present a true
that supersede their packaging function, Fluff
alternative, the brand's internal R&D focuses on
making them unique and immediately
the ethical production of its products while
recognisable.
taking into consideration whether the products
are in fact necessary. While it took several years For its new Lip Oil product, the brand designed
to produce its iconic bronzing duet (a kabuki slick, refillable packaging combining form and
brush and a natural, palm oil-free bronzing function. Fluff's goal is to design pieces with a
powder), the set and its face oil have been dual, mostly social, purpose. "These products
Fluff’s sole offerings since its launch. Only as of are more than make-up; they are grounding
December 2019 is the company adding a new stones, little fidget things, pocket mirrors, fancy
product to the line. paperweights, conversation starters, pieces of
art," said Geraerts.
"We have just released our Lip Oil #1 & #2, which
were in development for three years, and not
because we wanted them to be," clarified
Geraerts. "We’ve learnt a lot along the way. Our
decision to not use palm oil in our formulations
has really slowed things down, and continues to
make it difficult for us to work with particular
manufacturers."
Fluff
 Redefining Beauty
Another key element that sets Fluff apart is its
progressive approach to branding and
communication. Combining unpolished visuals
and a mix of straightforward and tongue-in-
cheek wording, the brand has created its own
terminology, which not only acts as a natural
extension of its product and design, but also
allows the brand to reframe certain beauty
practices and standards.
In Fluff's self-contained digital universe, 'make-
up' becomes 'Fluff', the 'merchandise' available
on the Fluff site becomes 'Stuff', and a
'makeover' becomes a 'Makeunder'. "It's our
response to the current beauty retail and service
world," specified Geraerts. "A Makeunder is like a
makeover, but different. It’s not falsies or
foundation, not contouring or glitter. It’s having
your make-up done by nice people, who are
interested in talking, not selling, using products
that are good for your skin and the
environment. It’s looking in the mirror when
you’re finished and being able to recognise
yourself."
Fluff applies the same natural and candid feel
to its visual strategy as well. Its Instagram
feed, for example, is mostly composed of
unfiltered photographs of spontaneous
moments, up-close faces, and everyday people.
The usual saturated images, overly-stylised
settings and perfectly-toned models are
nowhere to be found on the brand's account.
When asked about the overall content
Geraerts, replied: "It’s lo-fi; quick to turn around;
it’s unpolished and unedited; it’s honest; it’s
sometimes boring and it’s often confusing.
Because social media isn’t real life – but it is a
reflection. It means we plan less and react
more, we trust in the unknown, and put content
out there that we haven’t seen before… Just as
we ask of our audience, we focus on how we
can be more like ourselves, not like anyone
else."
Fluff
Lessons to Learn
From Fluff "What we believe Fluff is doing
differently, or successfully, is that instead
of telling our audience what to think, we
ask them what they’re thinking, and we
• Get out of your echo chamber and create with provide a platform for them to discuss
the voices you're selling to. Fluff, from day one, and share these thoughts, feelings, and
has made a concerted effort to represent and issues – not just with the beauty
industry, but with themselves and the
include Gen Z from start to finish, to ensure the
world.”
brand resonates with its target audience. – Erika Geraerts, founder
• In a world overrun with products and too many
SKUs, aim for for quality over quantity. Hero
products with years of R&D have the potential to
outlive 'flash in the pan' trends. Look towards
Fluff's thoughtful pace and iteration of hero
products to see how testing with your community
can pay off.
• We're living in a feelings-focused era. Creating
and communicating products and brand
messaging around consumer sentiments is
critical for future practice. Like Fluff, design from a
place of wanting to design meaningful pieces,
and speak to your customer accordingly –
ensuring the tone authentically matches your
intended demographic.

Fluff

Fluff
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