Shopping Sunscreen by Fragrance? H-E-B Nailed It!

Shopping for sunscreen by fragrance sounds strange until you see how H-E-B does it. Bold scents, unmistakable category cues, and a disciplined design system turn an ordinary private label into something shoppers want to explore.

Description

Private label packaging doesn’t have to look generic, and H-E-B’s sun care line proves it.

The system grabs attention with bold color and fragrance-led graphics while still communicating the category quickly. SPF 50 is prominent, and the familiar spray format immediately signals sunscreen. That gives the brand room to make fragrance a differentiator, with options like cypress and sandalwood creating a more elevated, personal-care experience.

What really makes the execution work is consistency. The H-E-B master brand stays in the same location across the assortment, fragrance cues follow a repeatable structure, and the message hierarchy remains consistent. Even with significant color and visual variety, the system stays easy to shop.

That’s strong private label packaging design: distinctive enough to create discovery without sacrificing navigation or recognition.

The bigger lesson for CPG packaging is simple. Visual excitement and shopability aren’t competing goals. With a disciplined design system and clear hierarchy, brands can deliver both.

Video Transcript

00:00:00 Hey everybody, it's shopping with
00:00:01 Christie. I'm in Texas this weekend and
00:00:03 at HEB and I really wanted to come see
00:00:07 the store. I've actually never been in
00:00:09 it before. So, this is the first time
00:00:10 for me. Are you serious? And I just saw
00:00:12 this delightful private label brand
00:00:14 execution and I want to celebrate it.
00:00:16 Let's celebrate it together.
00:00:21 This is HEB's sun care line. And how fun
00:00:25 is this? What I love about it is it
00:00:27 caught my eye right away as I was
00:00:29 walking in. I was like, "Ooh, what's
00:00:31 this?" You're encouraged to shop by
00:00:33 fragrance, which is a little unusual in
00:00:36 this category, but I kind of love it. I
00:00:37 immediately understood it was sun care
00:00:39 because it's got the big 50 SPF 50 and
00:00:43 it's got the spray bottle format, which
00:00:45 really has become synonymous with sun
00:00:47 care. I think that's probably good
00:00:49 enough for me to know what it is quickly
00:00:51 and then of course I read it and I was
00:00:52 like, "Yep, this is sunscreen." I really
00:00:54 appreciate the graphic execution here.
00:00:57 Makes me think that I'm getting
00:00:58 something a little special, something
00:01:00 that's going to be smelling good. Look
00:01:02 at this cypress and sandalwood. It's
00:01:04 almost like sunscreen and cologne or
00:01:08 like deodorant had a baby and there it
00:01:10 is. But why wouldn't you want to smell
00:01:12 good instead of like coconuts all the
00:01:14 time? This is a great idea actually.
00:01:16 Mark that down. But just overall
00:01:18 beautiful execution. You've kind of got
00:01:20 your core line down here, which is a
00:01:22 little less expensive and then you got
00:01:23 your sort of designer fragrances. That's
00:01:25 a great idea. I'm going to celebrate
00:01:27 that right NOW WITH HEB.
00:01:29 >> [screaming]
00:01:31 >> THE OTHER THING I'LL JUST COMMENT ON IS
00:01:33 THAT they've done a really good job
00:01:35 being consistent with their master
00:01:36 brands here. HEB HEB HEB it's like on
00:01:38 the same spot everywhere. And then
00:01:41 again, even between their assortment,
00:01:43 they are doing the same graphic
00:01:44 treatment of, you know, flavor fragrance
00:01:47 on the side on the side. Same sort of
00:01:49 message hierarchy across the board
00:01:51 generally. And so, even though it's a
00:01:53 lot of color and a lot of visual, it's
00:01:56 still very shoppable. It's a very
00:01:58 shoppable system. Love that. Okay, bye.

Christy Lebor Partner & Head of Brand Development, SmashBrand

48 Articles

Christy Lebor is a Partner and Head of Brand Development at SmashBrand, a premier brand development agency championing the FMCG space. With two decades of Fortune 500 CPG experience, Christy harnesses her background from industry titans to infuse brands with a growth trajectory that transitions them from category disruptors to legacy brands.

Her portfolio includes:

Brand management roles at global giants: Kraft, PepsiCo, and Unilever.
Launching pivotal products: Axe Body Wash in the US and the original Dove Campaign for Real Beauty at Unilever.
Steering innovative product lines at PepsiCo: Gatorade chews, protein bars, Mio Fit, and Amino Energy.
Pioneering breakfast innovations at KraftHeinz: Just Crack an Egg
Leading the branded business segment and global innovation at JBS, the world's largest meat company in the world.

Prior to her tenure at SmashBrand, Christy's track record spans various senior management and development roles. Each role has honed her expertise in the intricacies of FMCG, enabling her to cultivate category advantages for brands. From SKU rationalization to directing pivotal innovation stage gates, Christy's acute expertise in FMCG has consistently placed her at the forefront of the industry. Her ability to make incisive, strategically sound decisions has been key in propelling brands to market leadership.

Her philosophy pivots on the principle that timely, relevant data, integrated with brand strategy, is the linchpin for brands aspiring to scale and establish market dominance. At SmashBrand, Christy intricately weaves this philosophy, ensuring brands are not just strategically poised but holistically developed.

Educationally, Christy is equipped with a BBA from The University of Michigan Business School, an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management, and additional prowess in Private Equity and Venture Capital from Harvard Business School.

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