Case study
Celebrity hairstylist Frédéric Fekkai* and his team engaged Antonym to devise a new tone of voice strategy, elevate their brand strategy, and execute their new newly-honed strategies across a complete website rewrite, emails, campaign launch concepts, press materials, and more.
*Frédéric famously sold his brand in 2008 and reacquired it in 2018. With their storied founder back at the helm, FEKKAI enlisted Antonym to help infuse Frédéric—and his vision—back into the brand.
The Lexicon
Alluring, Carefree, Intriguing, Mindful, Refined, Signature, Sophisticated, Timeless, Verve, Vibrant, Whimsical
Celebrity hair savant, clean haircare pioneer
FEKKAI, founded by celebrity hair legend Frédéric Fekkai, is a haircare visionary—pioneering every aspect of the salon and haircare experience.
The challenge
“In the time Frédéric was away from FEKKAI, the industry changed demonstrably. So did Frédéric. We needed to retain everything the brand’s long-term clientele loved about FEKKAI, while ushering them into its bold new era.”
Frédéric’s concerns about climate change and the impact of the beauty industry on the environment inspired a total reformulation of his legendary haircare line. These shifts required a gentle, intuitive, but confident new approach to messaging with three critical objectives: to communicate Frédéric’s new philosophies and dedication to environmental philanthropy, guide consumers through the transformation of their long-loved products, and inject new education about FEKKAI’s performance, green technology, and sustainable initiatives into every cross-section of the brand.
Deliverables
Voice and brand strategy
We strategized a new tone of voice and brand positioning for FEKKAI, established through a new Mission and Brand Tenets, a Voice Positioning Statement, Audience and Voice Attributes, multi-tiered Lexicon, and ownable FEKKAI-isms to express their French heritage innovation philosophies.
Copywriting
We implemented FEKKAI’s new tone of voice by executing copy across every aspect of the brand, including a 60-page Digital Voice Style Guide, about copy, headlines, emails, retailer PDP, full website rewrite, product descriptions for brand.com and retailers, campaign launch strategy and messaging for their Apple Cider Detox and Shea Butter collections, paid advertisements, SEO Implementation, loyalty program naming and concepting.
The Antonym effect
“Antonym has a uniquely creative approach to copywriting. Through the use of custom tools and branding exercises, they dig deep into the brand's DNA to create a voice that stands out in the sea of competition. I enjoyed the personalized experience and hope to partner with them again in the future.”
Molly Sloat, Creative Director
