LUSH Cosmetics is making quite the name for itself within the global brand licensing space. Having dipped its toe into the (bath) water just a few years back when it introduced a limited edition collection of Super Mario branded products coinciding with the release of the movie, the ethical cosmetics brand has since become a powerhouse of creativity and symbol of just what can be achieved when brand owners take a creative approach to sustainability.
This year, LUSH Cosmetics found itself shortlisted not once but twice within the Licensing Awards 2024 Best Sustainable Licensed Product category, celebrated for its groundbreaking partnerships with both Mattel EMEA’s Barbie and Paramount UK’s SpongeBob SquarePants that both sang from the hymn sheets of going plastic and packaging free, while embracing the ethos of LUSH, a brand dedicated to ethical sourcing, regenerative farming practices, sustainable development, and reduced product impact.
As such, LUSH brings something new and fresh to the brand licensing space. We catch up with LUSH Cosmetics’ collaboration creative lead, Kalem Brinkworth to explore these ideas a little more.
LUSH Cosmetics has brought us some fantastic licensed product in the past year or so, including plastic-free and packaging-free SpongeBob and TMNT with Paramount, Barbie with Mattel, even Shrek! What is it about working with these brands that LUSH enjoys?
Kalem Brinkworth, collaboration creative lead at LUSH Cosmetics: We get so excited that we’re able to create cool and innovative products using each brand’s multi-generational IP and we love introducing these fun and planet-friendly products to new audiences, as well as existing LUSH fans.
We often find synergy between our brands such as when we’ve worked with Paramount on the SpongeBob SquarePants collaboration where we supported driving awareness to the team’s incredible Operation Sea Change by initiating litter picks around beaches among the public in the UK to earn themselves free LUSH x SpongeBob SquarePants products.
Our collaborations often inspire new ways of regenerating our eco-systems by using particular raw materials, such as the coconut oil that we used in our Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles collaboration.
Kalem Brinkworth
The level of creativity found across these projects to date has been wonderful. How does working within the ‘parameters’ of the LUSH ethos (responsible and ethical sourcing of raw ingredients, dedication to sustainability, and environmental and social impact) encourage and enhance creativity when it comes to product development?
Kalem: We don’t see them as parameters – we see them as the only way cosmetics should be made. We are passionate about protecting the planet’s future so we always prioritise ‘naked’ products within our collaborations, and if we do have packaged products, they can easily be returned to LUSH and processed through our closed-loop recycling scheme.
Our collaborations often inspire new ways of regenerating our eco-systems by using particular raw materials, such as the coconut oil that we used in our Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles collaboration. In this instance, our purchase of these raw materials goes to support local conservation and the restoration of ecosystems and endangered species such as reefs and green turtles.
To expand on this, since 2017 LUSH has purchased certified organic oil directly from āluān, a collective of organisations in the Aceh region of Indonesia. They work with 500 smallholder farming families on 2600 hectares of land. Alongside producing the highest quality coconut oil, they aim to keep the islands wild through a sustainability approach where business, people and nature thrive side by side. The āluān collective comprises a foundation that is dedicated to conserving and restoring ecosystems and endangered species (ie. those reefs and green turtles I mentioned). With support from LUSH, they also started a pilot project to grow and plant new coconut trees to replace ageing crops and ensure successful continuation.
Wow, what incredible and rewarding work. What’s it like, then, working on a licensed collection and bringing these sensibilities to the work you do with brand owners? Do you notice them taking new steps on a transformational journey of sustainable development? Do you see them learning new things when working with LUSH? How do you think this is passed on to the fans or the consumers?
Kalem: We always want to leave the world ‘Lusher than we found it’, so we love to inspire our partners by inviting them to our Poole factory and showing them our truly handmade processes. This helps give them real insight into our positive impact on the environment, beginning with our ethical raw materials sourcing all the way through to our closed-loop recycling system at our Lush Green Hub.
The excellent LUSH shop teams ensure our customers leave with valuable knowledge of how and why we create our fresh, handmade products the way we do, and the communities we impact globally, so they can make more informed decisions when choosing their cosmetics in the future.
At the same time, how is LUSH’s approach to brand licensing evolving?
Kalem: We have strategically approached collaborations to appeal to a wide range of audiences over the years and you’ll begin to see a more localised approach to collaborations as we have learned from our global colleagues that what works amazingly in one market, can fall flat in other markets.
So watch this space!
When we create licensed products we want to show what can be achieved. Making sure to show our ethics through the products, limit the amount of packaging needed, sourcing materials fairly and still delivering great products.
Kalem Brinkworth
If we focus on one of your branded collections – TMNT for example – are you able to share insight on the sustainability credentials? How was that collection put together and how do you keep LUSH’s dedication to ethical sourcing and sustainability at the forefront?
Kalem: So, 43% of our core products are naked (or packaging-free). It’s a really important factor when making products at LUSH – if we can make a product naked, we will! The reason our collaborations with Paramount have worked so well is that they, too, are taking action to help preserve this planet, through their ocean clean-up initiative. It felt like the most natural way to collaborate for both brands. We create naked products, where no packaging could end up in oceans, and they get to highlight the fantastic work they are doing simultaneously!
Given your experience with brand licensing to date, how open is it to sustainable change and development? What role do you think companies like LUSH will have to play in shaping a new future of ‘brand licensing’?
When we create licensed products we want to show what can be achieved. Making sure to show our ethics through the products, limit the amount of packaging needed, sourcing materials fairly and still delivering great products.
We hope this approach encourages others to think about these things and also the consumer to think about it when purchasing licensed products.
