KIEHL’S

SOCIAL MEDIA STYLE GUIDE

Kiehl’s wanted to refresh social content to engage Gen Z while keeping a cohesive brand identity. I developed a flexible style guide that translated brand strategy into actionable, visually engaging content for local markets.

THE CHALLENGE
Kiehl’s wanted to provide all local markets with a cohesive, refreshed social brand aesthetic that enhanced engagement while staying true to its heritage and urban, rebellious spirit. A key objective was to better connect with Gen Z and the brand’s current audience, making the content feel fresh, approachable, and culturally relevant while maintaining credibility in skincare.

STRATEGY
I approached this by designing a scalable, flexible style guide that served as both a visual reference and a practical toolkit:

  • Developed production guidelines, executional frameworks, and content themes to ensure consistency across markets and campaigns.

  • Drew inspiration from Kiehl’s East Village roots, blending heritage apothecary cues with street-style visuals to appeal to a younger, culturally attuned audience.

  • Crafted adaptable elements, icons, collage motifs, graffiti-style marks, and texture treatments, that could be applied across multiple social platforms and campaigns.

SOLUTION / CREATIVE

  • Designed a visually engaging, digital “brand book” that clearly communicated the refreshed aesthetic while providing actionable guidance for content creators.

  • Introduced handcrafted details like marker scribbles, collage cutouts, and typography on tape to reinforce Kiehl’s artistic, urban personality and appeal to Gen Z sensibilities.

  • Ensured all design elements could be scaled and reused by local teams, making it easy to maintain a consistent brand voice globally.

IMPACT

  • Delivered a comprehensive, easy-to-use style guide that enabled consistent and engaging social content across markets.

  • Strengthened Kiehl’s brand identity by marrying heritage credibility with playful, street-inspired visuals that resonated with both Gen Z and existing audiences.

  • Provided a repeatable system for content creation that supported local marketing teams, helping the brand maintain visual cohesion and relevance across demographics.

MY ROLE: LEAD DESIGNER

CONCEPTING | STRATEGY | DESIGN | BRANDING

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