LIKE A BIRD OUT OF AN EGG : BLACK MONSTER

The men’s total grooming brand Black Monster undertook a major renewal. Recently, the brand released a film that conveyed its philosophy and message, visually presenting bold changes across product ingredients, sizing, packaging, assortment, and overall brand image.
In this project, I was responsible for planning and directing the campaign film (produced in collaboration with an external studio), as well as creating the key visuals and developing the website based on the brand’s core identity.

In this project, Black Monster declared its vision to move beyond the standards and norms of male beauty imposed by society, in pursuit of true beauty. At the planning stage, I established the concept of “the freedom of a man who awakens the world through struggle and resistance,” expressed through the metaphor of a bird breaking out of its shell.

The rebranded Black Monster required a new brand story that departed from its previous messaging. To capture the spirit of the times and the values the brand pursues, I defined a persona and narrative for Black Monster in my own way—focusing on the kind of men who use its products and the lifestyle they embody. Based on this perspective, I developed the brand visuals to reflect and express this renewed identity.

The brand film for Black Monster’s renewal is structured into five chapters. Each segment is arranged by age, portraying the beauty of natural and pure youth through the turbulence of adolescence. Like an unpolished gemstone, it reflects the beautiful scars left by struggle and conflict within a world constrained by restraint and oppression.

Like Demian, the novel of Sinclair who, trapped in a dichotomous worldview, grew through doubt, criticism, and the search for his true self, Black Monster presents a journey toward self-discovery. It invites men to realize their own beauty, embrace their aesthetic values, and find themselves. Black Monster declares that the ease and confidence gained after the struggle of breaking the shell represent the true beauty, charm, and value of men.