The Magic Design of Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soap
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Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soap, the Bill Walton of the pharmacy aisle, is one of the best-selling liquid soaps in America. Yes, the hippy dippy liquid soap, which feels like it oozed from a Berkeley co-op circa 1973, generated $169 million in 2022, with its mix of organic ingredients and heal-the-earth corporate ethos. And it’s not just because of the Castile formula. It’s the brand’s so-bad-it’s-good label.
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From a design perspective, the packaging on Dr. Bronner’s soap is an absolute nightmare. A zillion words, a variety of typefaces, and no hierarchy of information. Nowhere for the eye to rest, much less focus. No contemporary graphic designer would present this as a serious option, and no client would accept it.
It’s a goddamn masterpiece.
Precisely because it looks like some sort of scripture co-authored by pagan gods, the Dr. B label catches the eye immediately on today’s supermarket shelves, which are too often dedicated to soft hues (for ladies, obvs) and dark, woody bars of soap (for the dudes). If every other brand wants you to remember its tagline, Dr. Bronner’s would like you to settle in for its 2500-word manifesto. (And hey, who among us hasn’t taken an extra-long shower to read the bottle in its entirety and raised a soapy fist in solidarity with Spaceship Earth. Cleanse your body, cleanse Gaia, amirite?)
Still, smelling sweetly of peppermint after precisely such a shower, SPY chased down Andrew Peet, a graphic design veteran who has done work for LEGO, Levi’s, Adidas, and Samsung, and is currently the VP of Creative at the groovy dating site Feeld. SPY demanded answers. Why is this thing undeniable dope?
“Consumer packaged goods brands spend a lot of time talking about ‘shelf standout’ which is exactly what it sounds like. ‘Good’ design aside, and accidentally or not, Dr. Bronner’s has absolutely nailed it,” Peet says.
Peek was also quick to point out that the good Doctor’s bizarre bedside manner works in context. Put a bottle of Dr. B’s Hemp Eucalyptus on a shelf alongside friendly internet-era brands like Harry’s and Method, and it’s going to draw the eye.
“I think [the brand’s] label communicates an innocence, a wholesomeness, an it’s-whats-inside-that-really-counts vibe that really speaks to a lot of people,” adds Peet. “Especially in an era of questionable marketing claims and greenwashing being rampant in packaging.”
Emmaneul Bronner was an odd cat, a we-are-all-one resident of “Spaceship Earth” who loved the ‘60s counterculture and hated a compromise. He also lost his sight at roughly the same time his company’s packaging stopped evolving, which may explain the lack of change and also the success. His original vision was untainted by influence. But it has had considerable influence itself.
If Dr. B has any kind of design kin, it may be the old New York apothecary-themed skincare brand Kiehl’s. Both are text-heavy and unrepentantly retro. Both feel like clear antecedents to the current crop of high-design skincare brands. Though they may appear as high-design, brands like Aesop, Grown Alchemist, and Malin + Goetze are clearly surfing in Dr. Bronner’s wake.
Dr. Bronner's Pure Castille Liquid Soap
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But even the copycats aren’t ready to follow Dr. Bronner’s all the way into “bad” design. So while Aesop and co. are using their sans serif fonts to argue for the cleanliness of their product, Dr. Bronner’s gonzo label is an entreaty to clean up your soul.
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