Tough Soap was a school project where we were challenged to make a home cleaning soap brand marketed towards men ages 18-30. We had to create labels that would appeal to men and make them want to clean. I used my own experiences of masculinity growing up watching my grandfather, father, and brother in order to create this brand. I never understood what toxic masculinity was for a long time because my male family members weren’t. They showed me that you can be masculine and not toxic. To be masculine is to be a person who embodies typical qualities of men, such as strength, a willingness to protect, and provide, among other qualities.
Inspiration
When I surveyed the men in my life, they all said similar things. It should be simple, clean, and easy to understand. There should be emphasis on utility over visually appealing. My goal for this project was to make something clean, elegant, and with a hint of stereotypical masculinity. So I landed on a minimalist design with minimal colors. I wanted the design to be approachable for guys to use while still being able to blend into the background of someone’s home. The logo is reminiscent of the Ralph Lauren Polo logo, except for the man riding a horse flexing his bicep.
