Back when Baby Magic debuted in the early 1950s, American moms-to-be often labored alone as dads-to-be waited in the wings (or the local bar) ready to hand out cigars. Times sure have changed for parents, and Naterra International, the Coppell TX-company behind the brand, is making sweeping changes to its venerable product line.
 
Shaking up an iconic brand can be a risky endeavor, but Naterra executives didn’t shy away from the task. In fact, they are calling the relaunch the brand’s biggest “evolution and its biggest expansion in more than 65 years.”
 
“When we made the decision to makeover the iconic and beloved brand, Baby Magic, – all the way from new formulations, down to packaging – we knew we were taking a huge leap. Having been on shelves for more than 65 years, we have been successful in building a generationally-loved brand that carries incredibly rich heritage and is rooted in tradition,” Melissa Murphy, director of marketing at Naterra International, told Happi. “With that being said, we know that with more than 130 million women becoming new parents each year, the ever-growing needs of moms—and dads—are constantly changing. We recognized that it was time to evolve the brand and products to meet the needs of this new generation looking for baby care that is gentle and infused with skin-loving ingredients.”
 
The challenge, she said was to focus “on how to evolve our brand and line of products to fit the needs of new parents, while still keeping millions of lifelong fans loyal to the brand.”
 
The Baby Magic team looked to parents from different generations to strike a balance between tradition and innovation, according to Murphy.
 
“We reached out to our generationally-diverse consumer base from both sides of the spectrum – new users and loyalists – and asked them to provide feedback about updated logo, package, and what was important to them overall,” she said.
 
Rolling out this spring, the relaunch range includes new SKUs, enhanced formulations, new packaging and more.
 
The renovated Baby Magic products items come in a trio of scents—Original Baby, Sweet Buttercup and Lavender Lullaby. The Original Baby line includes Cleansing Gel, Baby Lotion and Creamy Baby Oil; the Sweet Buttercup includes 2-in-1 Wash and Moisturizing Lotion; and the Lavender Lullaby collection features Calming Bath and Calming Lotion. For normal to dry skin, the Original Baby line has the same scent parents have known for generations.
 
“One of the main focuses of this new evolution for the brand was to include even more wholesome ingredients in each of our products, so that parents and grandparents could feel good about what they were using on baby,” said Murphy, calling out key ingredients such as camellia oil, marshmallow root, calendula oil, coconut oil and shea butter that work to help moisturize and nourish young skin.
 
Designed for normal to dry skin, the Original Baby line has the same scent parents have known for generations. The Sweet Buttercup collection is formulated for a “gentler touch” and infused with key ingredients to gently nourish and hydrate baby’s skin. The Lavender Lullaby line features aromatic scents and ingredients such as lavender and chamomile that are designed to help bring about shorter bedtime routines as well as aloe to help replenish skin’s moisture barrier overnight, according to the company.
 
Additionally, Baby Magic will expand with new wipes, a diaper rash ointment, SPF 50 mineral sunscreen, and a first first-of-its-kind hydrogel multi-purpose patch.
 
According to Murphy, the unique multi-use customizable cooling patch is “designed to keep baby’s ailing skin feeling soothed, moisturized and calm. Whether skin is dry, rough, sunburned or feverish, this handy, self-adhering patch provides instant cooling relief to keep skin feeling soothed,” she said.
 
Formulated with a blend of vitamin B12, camphor and aloe to nourish and calm skin, the patches can be cut to size/shape based on where they will be placed on the body.
 
“Our pouch contains two rectangle, customizable patches that are dye-free, paraben-free, and steroid-free. The best part about this product is that it’s also great for nursing moms to provide an instant cooling relief for tender breasts,” Murphy said.
 
In support of the relaunch, the brand has tapped sleep expert Carolynne Harvey, author of Dream Baby Nights, as a brand ambassador.
 
And there’s another new face at Baby Magic: the brand has its first ever mascot: a bunny that is featured on the packing (for more on the new look for this venerable brand, see our June issue).
 
With modernized formulations, unique treatments and scents that are familiar and functional, Naterra appears to be giving Baby Magic the TLC it needs to appeal to a new generation.