KINDRED PLEASURE
Industry: Intimate Wellness + Women's Pleasure
Location: Victoria, Australia
Scope: Brand Strategy, Brand Identity, Creative Direction + Brand Assets
Project Type: New Brand Launch
Kindred Pleasure is a premium intimate wellness brand created to make shopping for pleasure feel more comfortable, considered and empowering for women. The project focused on strategy, positioning, visual identity and creative direction, moving away from the usual adult retail clichés to create a refined, feminine and approachable brand experience. The result is a cohesive identity built around quality, trust and thoughtful curation, giving the business a strong foundation to launch, attract premium suppliers and grow into a recognised name in women's intimate wellness.
OVERVIEW
Kindred Pleasure started with a really clear problem. Rachel wanted to create an online store selling premium pleasure products for women, but she was frustrated by how overwhelming, tacky, and impersonal the industry could feel. There were plenty of places to buy these products, but not many that made the actual experience feel beautiful, comfortable, or considered. That was the opportunity I wanted to explore. Rather than creating another adult store with prettier branding, I wanted to position Kindred Pleasure as a completely different kind of shopping experience. One built around trust, quality, and the idea that women should feel comfortable prioritising their own pleasure. The business also had a strong ethical foundation, with a curated selection of products from brands founded by women and an intention to give back to women's and environmental charities. So the challenge wasn't just about making the brand look premium. It was about bringing all of those ideas together into something that felt sophisticated, approachable, and commercially credible.
PROCESS
My starting point was understanding where Kindred Pleasure could sit in the market and, more importantly, what we didn't want it to become. Looking at competitors like JOUJOU, Bawdee, and Girls Get Off, I could see there was room for something quieter and more refined. Rachel wasn't trying to compete by offering hundreds of products or being the loudest voice in the industry. Her strength was in curation, so I wanted the identity to reflect that same sense of restraint. Visually, I moved away from the predictable bright pinks, explicit imagery, and overly playful design often associated with pleasure brands. Instead, I introduced a rich plum palette balanced with muted rose, warm neutrals, and touches of gold. It feels feminine and intimate, but still mature enough to appeal to women across different stages of life. The logo was where I could introduce a little more meaning. I customised the lettering so the 'i' connects into the 'l' of pleasure, quite literally putting the 'I' into pleasure and reinforcing the idea of putting yourself first. I also transformed the two 'd' letters in Kindred into a flowing symbol inspired by infinity, representing connection, movement, and the cyclical nature of femininity. These aren't details that need to be explained for the identity to work, but they give it another layer of thought. From there, I considered how the brand would translate across product imagery, packaging, and the wider customer experience, making sure everything could feel like Kindred Pleasure even when the products themselves came from different suppliers.
OUTCOME
The result is a brand that feels completely removed from the typical adult retail experience, without losing what makes the category exciting in the first place. It's sensual without being obvious, feminine without being overly delicate, and premium without feeling intimidating. The identity has enough personality to be recognisable, but it's also intentionally restrained so the products, photography, and customer experience can take centre stage. Just as importantly, it gives Rachel a credible foundation to approach premium suppliers and build a business that feels established from the beginning. For me, this project really comes down to understanding that good creative direction isn't always about adding more. Sometimes it's about knowing what to take away. By removing the noise, simplifying the experience, and being really intentional about the details, Kindred Pleasure can communicate a much higher level of value. That's what I wanted to achieve here. Not just a beautiful identity, but a brand that changes how women feel about shopping for pleasure and gives the business room to grow into something much bigger.
