Beiersdorf is certainly not playing it safe with the brands it is creating in their new Oscar & Paul incubator. The first new brand Beiersdorf has launched in 30 years is a tattoo care brand called Skin Stories. While this is not the first product of its type in mass market, Skinfix launched a range called Inked a couple of years ago; however this is forward thinking for a strategic. Tattoos and beauty have had an interesting relationship, and it is very easy to make a case that the tattoo category has an adjacency to beauty that makes sense.

According to Beiersdorf, almost one in five Germans now has a tattoo, and among women between 25 and 34, the proportion is even close to half, with the numbers continuing to rise. Tattoo wearers and tattoo artists all want the same thing—for the work of art on the skin to stay looking great, even for decades. Oscar & Paul, the Corporate Indies Brands division, has incubated Skin Stories as a care system solution developed with tattoo experts that responds precisely to these needs. “Tattoos are becoming more and more popular and have long since ceased to be a symbol of rebellion. They are now a personal accessory. But few people know how to look after tattoos properly,” says Hauke Voß, Director of Oscar and Paul – Corporate Indie Brands.

The brand spent close to two years engaging in in-depth research, creating an “Expert Circle,” and working closely with external partners. The range consists of four products that contain a proprietary technology called Inguard that offers optimal care for any tattoo. Recognizing they are creating a new skincare category, the group is also committed to introducing new business models. The challenge will be to gain a firm foothold in this niche market, offer the consumers crucial added value, and breathe life into the brand purpose of “Making tattooing better and safer.”

A key aspect of the brand strategy is educational work. “As tattooing is not an occupation that requires official training, there is no standard means of acquiring expertise in the field of dermatology, even though precisely this expertise would further improve the art of tattooing,” explains Voß. “Which is why, in addition to product development, Skin Stories established the Expert Circle, the first think tank for modern-day tattooing. This will now bring various disciplines in the fields of skin research and tattooing craftsmanship together.”