Electric Ink Tattoo Care

Creative Agency: Robot Food
Illustrator: Tom Gilmour
Project Type: Produced, Commercial Work
Client: Electric Ink Skincare
Location: Leeds, UK
Packaging Contents: Health & Beauty Products
Packaging Substrate / Materials: Carton, Plastic and Aluminium

Although deeply rooted in the counter-culture, tattoos continue to grow in popularity. After noticing a lack of credible long-term tattoo care brands on the market, Robot Food rolled up their sleeves to design and launch one.

Entrepreneurial to the bone, Robot Food is a branding agency widely experienced in helping start-ups create and establish brands. Applying their own foresight and formula for success, the team decided it was time to design and launch their own health & beauty brand.

While identifying gaps in the market, the agency discovered that people with tattoos were largely underserved in terms of care and maintenance. Although one in three young adults have tattoos, there was a clear space in the mainstream market for a credible specialist brand that Robot Food was determined to fill.

After developing the name and brand positioning, Robot Food designed the identity and packaging. Tom Gilmour, a London artist with hugely relevant credentials, was brought on-board to bring the brand’s supporting illustrations to life. Tom specialises in hand-drawn black and white illustration, tattoo imagery and flash sheet creation. He created a contemporary interpretation of traditional tattoo art for the range, resulting in a design style that blends technical excellence with credibility, standout and desirability. The overall aesthetic is hugely relevant with a strong nod to tattooing’s sub-culture roots.

The creative team also partnered with a product developer with a health & beauty background. Together they formulated a range of quality skin products aimed purely at those who are inked. Made with unique active ingredients and vegan-friendly, Electric Ink launches with three products in Superdrug stores nationwide from mid-March, alongside selected tattoo shops, barber shops and lifestyle fashion retailers.

Simon Forster, Creative Director at Robot Food, said, “We love helping brands realise their ambitions but as a progressive agency we don’t sit around waiting to take a brief. It was time to launch our own brand and put our money where our mouth is. As a self-assured challenger with a strong point of difference, Electric Ink is a great representation of us. We’re delighted with the product and the reaction the range is already receiving.”