Children of the Sun.
Turning daily rituals into transformative experiences, ÙMÛ ÕRÅ is a beauty & wellness brand which brings together ancient African plant extracts and oils – in turn, harnessing the power of restoration, radiance and regeneration found in nature. The brand name is derived from ancient Igbo words ‘Umu’, meaning ‘children’, and ‘Ora’, meaning ‘sun’ – this directly translates to ‘children of the sun’, which has become central to ÙÕ’s identity as a proudly African brand. The original identity was created by Jana and Koos Studio in 2021.
I began working with the brand in the same year, and undertook a reskinning of the identity in 2023. We maintained the brand’s original wordmark and typefaces, but changed the colour palette, type hierarchy and packaging design system across the full product range to suit the brand’s changing needs, and to better accommodate any future additions to the range.
The updated label and outer box design systems can stretch and squash to fit a variety of sizes and proportions, and each colour in the new palette speaks directly to a featured botanical ingredient in the range. When the full range is displayed in store, the palette becomes a vibrant colour story which evokes Africa’s warmth, spirit and natural beauty.
The full ÙMÛ ÕRÅ range is available in several stores around Cape Town, including The Strangers Club, Maison Mara, Skins and Merchants on Long, as well as online.
Year: 2023
Client: Umu Ora (Lucy McCarthy)
Studio & Creative Direction: Jana and Koos
Identity: Pip Tully, Jana and Koos
Packaging: Pip Tully
Photography: Anke Loots, Emma Jackson, Wijdan Hendricks
I began working with the brand in the same year, and undertook a reskinning of the identity in 2023. We maintained the brand’s original wordmark and typefaces, but changed the colour palette, type hierarchy and packaging design system across the full product range to suit the brand’s changing needs, and to better accommodate any future additions to the range.
The updated label and outer box design systems can stretch and squash to fit a variety of sizes and proportions, and each colour in the new palette speaks directly to a featured botanical ingredient in the range. When the full range is displayed in store, the palette becomes a vibrant colour story which evokes Africa’s warmth, spirit and natural beauty.
The full ÙMÛ ÕRÅ range is available in several stores around Cape Town, including The Strangers Club, Maison Mara, Skins and Merchants on Long, as well as online.
Year: 2023
Client: Umu Ora (Lucy McCarthy)
Studio & Creative Direction: Jana and Koos
Identity: Pip Tully, Jana and Koos
Packaging: Pip Tully
Photography: Anke Loots, Emma Jackson, Wijdan Hendricks
