South Korea’s tamburins: Couture-inspired cosmetics made by artists

Rising South Korean cosmetics brand tamburins wields an array of innovative marketing techniques that bring together experiential art and fashion elements. The conceptual charm of its products is drawing huge support from consumers, particularly in Asia. Let’s explore the philosophy behind the formation of this brand.

Since launching in 2017, tamburins has garnered high praise among K-beauty fans for being a “too chic” cosmetics brand offering its signature hand creams that look like couture accessories. The brand is operated by IICOMBINED2, an affiliate of IICOMBINED that runs the famously edgy eyewear brand Gentle Monster.

Famed for its artistic in-store decor and creative marketing techniques that fully embrace fashion and art, the brand has earned a legion of passionate fans. Other standout features include its genderless designs and accessories-inspired products, exemplified by those cult hand creams and solid perfumes in minimalist packaging. Last October, the brand also made news with the signing of an exclusive domestic sales agreement (excluding duty-free stores) with LVMH-owned beauty chain Sephora, which is widening its reach in South Korea.

Pursuing ‘cost-likability’ over ‘cost-performance’

The brand’s strength lies in not having “a single staff member with a background in the cosmetics industry”, says tamburins’ head of communications and marketing Najung Shin. Having people without industry experience means it has the advantage of “not being caught up by preconceived notions”, she explains.

Of the 20-person team, 14 handle the store’s art installations and brand visuals. Working separately are an R&D lab and a team of perfumers, but tamburins would be best described as a group of artists who create artworks that happen to be cosmetics. Accordingly, its product development process is also unique.

Shin says: “(We) only release products that satisfy ourselves and that we would want to buy. Our rule is that if we can’t get a certain amount of consent in-house, we don’t make the product. Many of our products were obsessed over right up until the last stages of development but were eventually dropped due to a lack of agreement.”

This approach meant that when the brand first started, the speed with which it released new products was anything but fast. Indeed, when tamburins opened its flagship store in Seoul’s Garosugil shopping district in 2017, only one product was featured — the Nude H. And Cream with its antique gold chain. By March 2018, the line-up grew to three items. With a product development process sticking obsessively to the brand philosophy, the slow-paced deployment of new items is all part of the strategy — to distinguish itself from other brands in the red ocean that is the aggressive South Korean market.

As Shin explains: “(There) are a huge number of cosmetics brands and manufacturers in South Korea, but there are hardly any players that have a steadfast direction, that have a tenable philosophy similar to overseas brands with their long histories.” She says that most brands only rave about their products’ effectiveness or good “cost-performance” (known as “gaseongbi” in Korean).

So tamburins decided to pursue what it calls “cost-likability” instead of cost-performance. In other words, it wanted to win with products that were likable, beyond their monetary value. It resolved to build a philosophy of bringing true satisfaction to customers — rather than concentrate on the efficacy of ingredients­­ — allowing them to immediately understand what the tamburins brand is about.

That taps on a growing phenomenon in South Korea, where beauty brands offer unique products combined with a vivid storytelling strategy. These days, in a competitive market brimming with new products, Shin sees a situation where “we’re going beyond the level of consumers buying products because they’re necessary and changing towards the direction of consumers expressing their own sensibilities and tastes through consumption”.

Strengthening the brand primarily in South Korea

Shin also revealed how tamburins got to be sold exclusively by Sephora in South Korea. “Currently, a lot of brands are being sold in H&B stores. We felt it was wrong to just be included as another one of them. This is because our brand image is conveyed through the fusing of elements such as aromas, visuals, spatial design, and music — as can be seen in our flagship store. Sephora designates sessions for each brand, so we’re able to bring along our own art installations. This is what led us to join with them.”

Although the brand is exploring other new distribution channels, it plans to strengthen its branding primarily via the flagship store. It also aims to increase the number of partnered initiatives featuring its art installations and products in hotels and art museums like D MUSEUM in Seoul’s upscale Hannam-dong neighborhood.

Even as brand recognition around the world is growing, tamburins’ priority is to maintain its positioning within South Korea. Preparations to expand overseas have yet to be made. For the moment, the brand’s artsy aesthetic can only be experienced to those visiting South Korea.

Nevertheless, Shin still hints at overseas expansion: “I’m delighted when I see fans actually coming from overseas to visit our store and post on Instagram about our installations and products. I look forward to the day when we can open a store in another big city, such as Tokyo.”

Text: Denyse Yeo
Original text (Japanese): Jonggi HA