Beauty reimagined

Visual Systems | Lead Design | Brand Guidelines

This out-of-home rebrand campaign explores how Ulta Beauty can extend its brand presence beyond stores and digital channels into the physical world through a more elevated, cohesive, and high-impact visual system. The concept transforms billboards, transit placements, and street-level media into moments of beauty discovery that capture attention quickly while reinforcing brand recognition at scale.

The opportunity was to treat OOH not as isolated advertising, but as a strategic extension of the customer experience. Ulta Beauty already owns a strong position in beauty retail through its mix of prestige, mass, and salon services, making public media a powerful channel to amplify that value proposition in everyday spaces.

PROJECT DEVELOPED IN COLLABORATION WITH JESSICA NISWANDER (SR. BRAND MGR) & KALEIGH KIRKPATRICK (SR. DESIGNER)

Before

after

Design Elements

  • Bold typography

  • High-impact imagery

  • Refreshed color palette

  • Clean grid systems

  • Modular layouts

  • Clear calls to action

  • Brand-forward messaging

Beauty at Scale

Large-format media requires clarity and confidence. Designs were built with bold typography, strong hierarchy, and concise messaging to ensure communication remains effective from a distance and in motion.

Elevated Brand Expression

The visual language modernizes the brand through cleaner layouts, refined spacing, and more intentional composition. Familiar brand energy was preserved while introducing a sharper, more contemporary presence.

Built for Modularity

Rather than creating one-off ads, the project focused on a repeatable system that adapts across billboards, transit shelters, retail windows, and localized placements. Core assets stay consistent while campaign messaging can evolve.

Audience Centered Design

Creative decisions were shaped around a broad beauty audience, from loyal customers and trend-driven shoppers to first-time visitors exploring the category. The goal was broad resonance without losing brand personality.

Concepts & iterations

Final Creative

The final concept positions Ulta Beauty as a more visible, modern, and culturally relevant presence in everyday spaces. It transforms high-traffic environments into moments of beauty discovery while reinforcing the brand’s promise of inspiration, accessibility, and confidence.