The brief help Q-tip tap into internet culture. So to speak their language, I studied companies that successfully integrate legacy brands with the culture, and the best example turned out to be MSCHF. What I learned is that the internet culture love iconic symbol with a twist.
Everyone knows that you're not suppose to put a Q-tip in your ear but everyone do it anyway. So took the iconic shape of a Q-tip and redesigned it with earplugs on both ends, connected by a central stick with a button that neatly retracts and organizes the wire.
The object people are told not to put in their ears becomes something specifically designed to protect them, with an expected launch ahead of peak festival season.
Things that have made headlines for the past couple of years are products with striking visuals and a touch of irony.
Alternative version
Same idea, different execution.
A pair of earbuds that, when opened, take on the familiar shape of a Q-tip, complete with a central section that doubles as a built-in tool for cleaning the earbuds themselves.
