Cleo+Coco: Rebranding a Natural Deodorant for Category‑Level Growth
Cleo+Coco: From niche natural to national shelves
When founder Suzannah Raff first came to us in 2019, Cleo+Coco had what many natural deodorant brands were still chasing: a formula that worked and a loyal early audience. What it didn’t yet have was a brand system that read as premium at a glance, educated quickly on shelf, and felt cohesive online. Our shared goal was simple and bold—make natural feel normal. In other words, keep the clean‑ingredient credibility, but remove the trade‑off.
The leap
We reframed Cleo+Coco from a “niche natural” product into a modern personal‑care brand. Strategy came first: a promise of high‑performance clean care, positioned to win both in boutique retail and mainstream channels. From there, identity and packaging followed—a confident wordmark, assertive typography, and a colour architecture by scent so shoppers could navigate in seconds. Hand‑drawn ingredient illustrations added warmth and provenance without clutter. An icon set communicated the essentials fast (aluminum‑free, synthetic‑fragrance‑free, travel‑friendly, made in USA).
Online, we rebuilt the Shopify experience to mirror the clarity on shelf. Clear product architecture, scent navigation and tone‑of‑voice guidelines brought consistency to every touchpoint—from PDPs to social content—so the brand sounded and looked like the same idea everywhere.
What changed
The shift was immediate. Retailers who had hesitated began taking meetings; consumers who were “clean‑curious” felt invited in. The first QVC airing sold out in 10 minutes, and momentum rolled on through 2020 as the brand reported 10× year‑on‑year growth, crossing $1M in annual revenue. By 2021 Cleo+Coco was listed with 100+ retailers and e‑tailers—think Goop, Target, Beauty Heroes, Verishop, Aerie, Neiman Marcus and Amazon—while the DTC channel matured with stronger repeat purchase and community advocacy.
In 2025, a nationwide Whole Foods Market launch was paired with a light “glow‑up”: packaging materials upgraded to premium, more sustainable formats using post‑consumer recycled content, and a refreshed website experience. The look evolved without losing the distinctive system we established in 2019.
“Retailers take us more seriously now that we take ourselves more seriously.” — Founder, Cleo+Coco
Why it worked
Clarity plus distinctiveness. The design system balances sensory appeal with hard‑working FMCG shelf strategy—colour that guides, icons that educate, typography that reads at pace. The same idea flows online, where architecture and messaging turn interest into confident purchase.
Results at a glance
10× sales growth in 2020, surpassing $1M revenue
Sold out in 10 minutes on first QVC airing
100+ retail/e‑tail placements by 2021
Nationwide launch at Whole Foods Market (2025)
Services
Brand strategy, identity, illustration, packaging system, e‑commerce design, content and photography.
Credits
Client: Cleo+Coco
Founder: Suzannah Raff
Agency: We Are Purpose