Mecca Cosmetica

An iconic partnership.

Since launching in 1997, Mecca Cosmetica has grown to become Australia’s most treasured skincare retailer. A decade long partnership establishes the groundwork for future success.

Retail & hospitality
  • Brand strategy
  • Brand identity
  • Packaging
  • Communications

Ty so brilliantly built the foundations of Mecca’s identity 23 years ago and the clarity of vision, execution and guiding hand has permeated all aspects of Mecca ever since. We are forever grateful!”

— Jo Horgan

First impressions last...

When Nik Karalis walked Jo Horgan into the offices of Emery Vincent Design, few could have guessed she would upstage the Melbourne retail establishment. After one meeting, Ty knew it was a foregone conclusion. Associate Ken Stanley drafted individual letterforms which Ty would later expand into a full alphabet. While the brand has evolved, its DNA has remained steadfast.

Easy as A, B and C...

The alphabet is used to create service and product sub-brands as well as retail store identification and instore signage.

An industry standard...

Just as Mecca’s emporiums set the standard for customer service, its seasonal catalogue lead the way for competitors to try and emulate. The very first edition was produced on a Saturday at Jo’s dining table. Eventually every six weeks, Ty became a part of Mecca’s in-house team, producing a 48 page publication in less than a week. Back then, timeframes and budgets were kept very tight.

Aligned at the hip...

Every aspect of Mecca’s brand is developed in a culture of intense collaboration between client and designer.

Even the very first brand illustrations created by Ty at Emery Vincent Design have stood the test of time.

Setting the standard...

Over a decade long collaboration, signature product lines from luxurious treats to can‘t-do-without-staples, launch with their own unique personalities. The packaging is always unmistakably Mecca.

All wrapped up...

In the early days Mecca eschewed traditional advertising mediums. Instead, retail windows stopped foot traffic in its tracks. With no two shop façades alike, graphics are flexible for easy adaptation and installation across an expanding network. Each June, Jo would supply a single headline as the brief for Mecca’s most important campaign — the holiday gift season. By July, everything is in production from shopping bags to gift boxes and cards and window graphics. Ho, Ho, Ho!

 

 

Time to celebrate...

As Mecca’s first decade came to a close, it was time to establish its in-house design studio. Ty signed off a 10 year partnership with a joyous Mecca birthday campaign. After which his attention turns to kit cosmetics… a new baby needs nurturing.

Long-lasting foundations…

Ty helped build one of Australia‘s most loved retail brands — partnering with Mecca on a journey from independent dreamers to national icon. How could this experience help you build an iconic brand?

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