L'Oréal Brandstorm 2025 Youth Flex

We began the project by prioritizing product–market fit, believing that a strong brand must be rooted in real consumer needs. To guide our decisions, we conducted in-depth research by calculating the market size, collecting data, and interviewing five young men aged 15-24 to understand their skincare concerns, interests, and purchasing behaviors. By analyzing these insights, we understood their pain points and made product and branding decisions that resonate with our target audience.

We developed typo user that captured key behaviors, motivations, and frustrations. These personas helped us clearly understand different user segments and guided our strategic decisions in product development and branding direction. 

Youth Flex was developed based on deep consumer insights gathered through research and in-depth interviews with Gen Z men. We found that many young men feel overwhelmed by complicated skincare routines, unclear product benefits, and overly harsh formulations. In response, we built the concept around simplicity, clarity, and confidence. Each element — from mild active ingredients and clearly defined skin concerns (eliminating confusion when choosing the right series), to step-by-step routine guidance and minimalist, refillable packaging — was intentionally designed to solve their frustrations and fit seamlessly into their lifestyle.

Each series includes four essential products: a Facial Foam and Serum for both day and night use, a Day Cream with UV protection for daytime care, and a Night Moisturizer to support skin recovery overnight. Youth Flex is not just a skincare line, but an effortless system created to genuinely resonate with how young men prefer to approach self-care. 

Youth Flex’s brand identity is built around the Innocent archetype, reflecting simplicity, positivity, and stress-free self-care. Inspired by our consumer insights, the visual system uses clean typography, soft blue tones, and minimalist design to communicate clarity and trust. The optimistic and straightforward brand voice reinforces our core concept: removing complication from skincare and delivering an effortless routine that fits seamlessly into young men’s lifestyles.

To validate the Youth Flex concept, we conducted concept testing with our target audience to evaluate product appeal, clarity, and purchase intention. Feedback highlighted that respondents appreciated the simple, problem-focused product sets and the clear step-by-step routine, which reduced the need for extensive research. Many valued the convenience, straightforward communication, and refreshing packaging design that breaks away from traditional masculine stereotypes. The testing results also indicated strong purchase intent, confirming that the concept resonates with Gen Z men and supports its market potential.