New Packaging Takes Wing
After receiving consumer complaints about how difficult Olay’s Regenerist Moisturizer lids are to open for people with limited mobility, the brand decided to introduce a more accessible alternative – the Easy Open Lid, a limited-edition prototype developed with and for people with disabilities. Created with the help of “consumers with a wide range of conditions, from dexterity issues and limb differences to chronic issues causing joint pain and vision impairments,” the lid will be incorporated into the product design of OLAY’s most popular products: the Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Cream, Vitamin C + Peptide 24 Face Moisturizer, Retinol 24 Face Moisturizer and Collagen Peptide 24 Face Moisturizer. Olay also consulted external experts including physical and occupational therapists, as well as UX experts.
“We were honored to work closely with a passionate group of people to bring this Easy Open Lid to life,” said Chris Heiert, Senior Vice President of Olay. “As a global brand, it’s our responsibility to ensure that all consumers have access to products that serve their needs and fit seamlessly into their daily lives.”
The Easy Open Lid has wings on either side, a raised top with some texture for grip, higher-contrast product labels, and Braille text that reads “face cream.” Although it is free to consumers, the Easy Open Lid comes separately from the products themselves and is only available when purchasing Olay Regenerist Moisturizer through the brand’s website rather than in stores or through other retailers. However, Olay has shared the Easy Open Lid design with other members of the beauty industry in the hopes that they will adapt it to their own products or ramp up their own accessibility efforts. The brand says it is committed to introducing more accessible packaging across all its products by 2025.
“Accessibility makes things better for everyone,” says Madison Lawson, a journalist and model living with muscular dystrophy and one of Olay’s key collaborators for the lid. “Everyone’s been there where you get product on your hands or you’re trying to open something and you can’t, so I think it’s cool that this is designed with us specifically in mind but it also makes everyone’s life better.”
