Wahanda gets a makeover

UK online marketplace Wahanda, which specialises in hair and beauty services for its customers, has rebranded under the Treatwell name.

Wahanda expanded to acquire European brand Treatwell in June 2015, the company has unified to become under the latter title, while establishing an entirely new visual and brand identity. Wahanda, valued at around $22m in May 2015, initially entered the UK market as a platform for consumers to search out lucrative deals on local health and beauty treatments. It also provided a business-to-business aspect, whereby salons could gain access to reservation management programmes and loyalty software for customers.

Wahanda’s rebrand to Treatwell, led by creative design agency DesignStudio, sees the company retire its busy original imagery. The cartoon women striking a variety of poses on garish backgrounds have instead been replaced with one unified logo; it retains a bright aspect albeit with a subtler, more complimentary colour palette. This is offset through the brand’s use of black and white photography, which hints at a renewed sophistication.

Treatwell have also moved away from an emphasis on pristine, manufactured beauty to a brand which has individuality at its core. Its new website and logo designs highlight this shift to unique experiences, at the same time emphasising the collective formed through the transformation of the Wahanda brand.

Creative director of DesignStudio, Tim Williams, says, “We wanted to change how beauty is perceived. The rebrand looks to celebrate self-expression and individuality, of both the salons and the customers who use the service”.

Such a shift in brand identity has changed the face of Treatwell’s mobile communications, lending itself well to a new app design. It is also hoped that the new, clear brand identity will prepare the business for expansion into markets where the previous ‘Wahanda’ name did not catch on.