Birth of a new international brand during times of crisis
There are not many positives to take away from the global COVID-19 pandemic, but it did teach businesses worldwide to be flexible, to plan and to think outside of the box in order to survive. The design and marketing agency, BAREUNPLAN, from the Republic of Korea is just one example. They successfully diversified during one of the greatest economic crises of our times, producing a completely new line of “clean” cosmetics.
With the help of the trademark protection that they have secured through WIPO’s Madrid System, BAREUNPLAN's vegan beauty brand, “HAMEL”, is now promoting self-love and environmental preservation across three continents.
Responding to change
On 2020, a team of talented design and marketing experts headed by Ju Hyung Kim, founded a new enterprise in the Republic of Korea: BAREUNPLAN. Based in Incheon, the company initially specialized in professional design services, offering a broad range of merchandise design, manufacturing, and distribution solutions.
When the COVID-19 pandemic broke out, BAREUNPLAN decided to diversify their product portfolio and expand into other potentially rewarding markets such as the personal hygiene industry – they started importing and distributing facemasks.
As the world economy slowly started to recover, BAREUNPLAN – keen to explore how the market might evolve – conducted extensive research into new business ventures. Their findings showed that the market for vegan cosmetic products held tremendous promise.
BAREUNPLAN’s Management Board decided it was time to develop a completely new line of vegan beauty products. The brand "HAMEL" was born.
What’s in a brand name?
“When it came to choosing our new brand name, we knew we wanted to convey our core mission – to cultivate a habit of loving oneself, and to emphasize that loving the environment is an essential part of that. We decided to combine three words to summarize this concept: "Habit", "ME", and "Love”. That’s how we came up with the acronym HAMEL”, explains Director Sang Yong Lee.
Why did they use English language for their brand name? Simply because, right from the outset BAREUNPLAN to take HAMEL global!
A natural and animal cruelty-free Korean beauty brand
BAREUNPLAN founded HAMEL’s mission on three pillars:
- Naturally good: HAMEL looks after customer skin health by using only natural compounds and ingredients in its products’ formulas – a crucial part of the brand’s mission.
- Cruelty-free: BAREUNPLAN is strongly opposed to animal testing for cosmetics and is committed to the values of veganism.
- Sustainable packaging: HAMEL products use refillable containers made of recycled plastic, without spring pumps or detachable printed labels – they print directly on the containers using soy ink. The company is also committed to using eco-friendly materials for all promotional items, going beyond just product packaging.
Protecting a brand name internationally through WIPO’s Madrid System
“HAMEL” — International Trademark Registration No: 1643116
Prior to filing an international trademark application through WIPO’s Madrid System in 2022, BAREUNPLAN had never exported "HAMEL" to overseas markets.
While looking into ways of protecting their trademark abroad, the company consulted several attorneys who provided them with cost estimates for their services. They were all out of budget. Then, while researching other solutions, they came across video tutorials on the Korean Intellectual Property Office’s (KIPO) YouTube channel. This is how they discovered the Madrid System!
According to Sang Yong Lee, “the Madrid System is a considerably more affordable option. And it’s straightforward and easy to navigate.”
BAREUNPLAN managed to file their application for an international trademark registration directly through KIPO, without the help of a legal representative, using their “basic mark” (national trademark registration) registered in the Republic of Korea.
The Madrid System has helped them to secure trademark protection of “HAMEL” in China, the European Union, Japan and the United States of America. “Our sales have grown significantly!” says Sang Yong Lee.
The brand’s product range includes anti-aging creams, lipsticks, sunblock, skin care lotions, cosmetics for personal use, toilet water, and mask packs for cosmetic purposes, all protected under Class 3 of the Nice Classification – the international classification of goods and services used to register trademarks.
Expanding trademark protection to new countries
Today, business continues to expand and BAREUNPLAN plan to extend the geographical scope of their international registration to include Australia and countries in Latin America and South-east Asia, further increasing their global reach.
"We have an aggressive market expansion strategy at a global level. When we want to enter a new market, we can quickly expand protection of our international registration to include that Madrid System Member. WIPO’s Madrid System provides a solution for trademark protection that efficiently and flexibly adapts to our marketing plan."
Sang Yong Lee
Keep an eye out for potential new international markets as more countries (especially countries from Latin America and the Caribbean, and Middle East regions) join the Madrid System.
Why use the Madrid System to protect your trademark internationally?
"There is no reason not to use the Madrid System! We highly recommend other companies to find out more about the benefits of the Madrid System for international trademark registration. It’s cost and time efficient, and a truly effective way to protect your brand internationally."
Sang Yong Lee
Find out more about International Registration No. 1643116 – “HAMEL” – in Madrid Monitor under eMadrid.
More about the Madrid System
The Madrid System is a convenient and cost-effective solution for registering trademarks in up to 130 countries by filing one application and paying one set of fees.
