Independent Study: Reimagining an Iconic Brand
Medium: Digital Design in Illustrator, Anaglyph 3D, Fresco
Date: Spring 2026
Medium: Digital Design in Illustrator, Anaglyph 3D, Fresco
Date: Spring 2026
This project took on many forms and evolved throughout the design process. It initially began as a rebranding exploration of the existing Old Spice brand. As an independent study, I had the freedom to experiment with new techniques and explore how the brand could be reimagined for a younger, Gen Z audience.
It eventually evolved into a limited-time, limited-quantity collection featuring new products for the Old Spice brand, including a candle, reed diffuser, and soap bar, alongside the iconic Old Spice aftershave. The collection was designed to feel exclusive and collectible while building on the brand’s existing identity.
Through researching Old Spice’s current products, marketing, and appeal to younger audiences, I explored several new branding directions. Ultimately, I found that the iconic Old Spice logo was too closely tied to the brand’s identity to replace. This shifted my focus toward creating new experiences around the existing identity rather than changing what already made the brand recognizable.
As I explored different ways to reinterpret Old Spice’s iconic branding, one challenge continued to emerge: movement and depth. I wanted to create an element that could move beyond the traditional limitations of a screen, label, or box and give the design a physical presence.
To have a visual direction to apply the 3d concept to, I created a word map around the Old Spice brand, exploring ideas such as oceans, sailing, ships, sailcloth, creatures of the deep, messages in a bottle the list went on and on. These nautical themes eventually led me to the octopus, which became the central character and focal point of the packaging. I illustrated several versions of the octopus in Adobe Fresco as vector artwork, allowing me to easily refine and prepare the illustrations for Illustrator.
Creating the 3D effect presented a new technical challenge. I couldn't find any tutorials demonstrating the technique in Illustrator, so I used a 2020 example that someone created in GIMP as a starting point and experimented until I developed a process that worked in Illustrator. Through lots of trial and error, I was able to get the effect working with our 3D glasses.
Version 1
V2
V3
V4
Final version
After testing multiple dielines, I developed boxes for the collection’s additional products. The next challenge was creating labels that fit the nautical concept.
Since sailcloth emerged during the early concept development, I experimented with creating custom fabric labels. I removed the existing labels from the packaging and hand-dyed cotton canvas with tea to create a naturally weathered, yellowed appearance. I then found a way to print directly onto the canvas using a standard inkjet printer, allowing me to create custom labels for the bottles and belly bands for the soap.
To carry the branding demo further into the physical product, I also designed and 3D-printed a stamp to deboss the Old Spice logo directly into the soap. (Pro-Tip: use steam to soften the soap before stamping to prevent cracking)
Demo Dielines
Acetone to remove the printed on lables
Inkjet printed fabric test for colors and fonts.
What started as a rebranding project turned into an exploration of how far I could push an iconic brand while still keeping what makes it recognizable. Along the way, I got to experiment with illustration, packaging, print, fabrication, and 3D design to create something that felt both familiar and new.
Have a pair of red-and-blue 3D glasses lying around? Put them on and take a peek at the final work! I can’t quite show the full 3D effect through a screen, but the glasses bring the designs to life in a way that pictures just can’t capture.