How we launched K18’s new product with CGI before it even existed

To say K18 made waves is an understatement. The San Francisco haircare brand has breakthrough science as their identity, and promises to fix hair damaged beyond repair (think years of home dyes and heat treatments without protectants kind of damaged). That’s why their visual identity is a combo of minimalism and vivid colors — less is more when your product is so confident. For this launch, CGI product photography offered the perfect solution to maintain their bold yet minimalist aesthetic while ensuring flawless consistency.

The K18 team came to us already at a critical roadblock: they had a major product launch approaching fast, and they needed a full suite of world-class assets for their new website, eShop, and social channels. If that doesn’t sound stressful enough, there was another problem. The physical products were still in manufacturing. So there was a serious misalignment between their production and marketing timelines. This put the entire launch at risk and, as it goes for reputable brands like theirs, it could shake consumers’ trust. K18 thus needed a quick and smart solution.

K18’s brand identity is built on simplicity and vivid colors. It’s already well established, and its customers are well used to their style. This means there is no room for playing around with color palettes, textures, or lighting. Our assets had to look exactly like their previous ones, down to the pixel.

In a physical photography studio, sure, you had the ready-made product in its true colors. But lighting can make those colors look off, or different from photo to photo. Needless to say, that’s terrible for brand credibility. Cheap-looking photos scream cheap brand, even if it’s not so. That’s exactly why K18 came to us. CGI gives you 100% control: every inch of the product and its environment align perfectly with the brand manual. 

Our collaboration started, as always, with a creative brief. In it, the K18 art team gave us all the details we needed: color, style, product measurements, and particular visions for this suite of assets. K18 wanted block concepts, a.k.a. simple props like risers, to create that minimalist-yet-playful look.

And of course, we got the exact Pantone codes K18 has been using since its start: 

• PANTONE 178C (coral)
• PANTONE 382C (lime green)
• PANTONE 3262C (teal)

Now, our team could move to our specialty: 3D modeling.

Sometimes, we get a sample of the client’s product as part of the brief. In this case, there were no physical products available yet — partly why K18 contacted us in the first place. So our team built the digital 3D models using only reference images and packaging design files sent by the K18 creative team.

The 3D modeling stage has one goal and one only: to achieve perfect photorealism. Until the client can’t tell it apart from the actual product, we’re not happy. Since we had no physical product yet, our aim was what we call “believability.” So the final 3D models would be just like the physical items once they came off the production line. 

It’s a super-meticulous process done by experienced professionals — computers and software are tools, but they don’t amount to anything in the wrong hands. And just as it happens, our 3D artists are used to any kind of shape or material. Our next K18 project, for example, required a cosmetic bag with gorgeous fabric texture and subtle folds. Speaking of texture…

After we were happy with the models, we moved to the phase where we addressed all specific style requirements. This is what K18 needed:

• Catalog images: Essential for e-commerce; the product is shown on pure white backgrounds and backgrounds featuring K18’s core brand colors.
• Minimalistic & Simple Props: Creative hero images using simple risers and blocks to keep a clean aesthetic focused on the product.
• Custom: For high-impact visuals, we developed highly creative concepts. This included one “impossible shot” specifically requested in the brief: a double helix background formed with product textures (spray + liquid).

To do the latter, our team used complex CGI shading techniques and particle systems. In a photography studio, the same result would have entailed high-speed photography, complex rigging, and the messy, haphazard nature of liquids. We took our time, but we delivered that impossible shot without the costs or product waste of a classic photoshoot.

This is where we talk about the biggest CGI advantage. Once the 3D models are built, they can be seamlessly animated in as many styles as the client wants. We animated three of the creative concepts K18 approved for their website and social media. We also created dynamic particle systems (using techniques like moving the products, camera, and lights) to nail that realistic mist from the spray nozzle.

Finally, the suite was ready. But we’re never fully happy until we see the results. So let’s talk about what K18 got from this collaboration.

The K18 team now had a complete and crazy versatile library: catalog images for their eShop, creative hero images for introducing the product to website visitors and their online audience, and engaging animations for their social media. The minute they posted them for their launch, they went viral. But we did more than bring customers to their shop.

First off, we helped K18 launch a major campaign without physical inventory. So we saved vital time and kept the process seamless. Imagine promising a launch, then going back on it because your products aren’t ready. That’s bound to deter a customer or two! 

Secondly, we gave K18 unparalleled flexibility. They can now contact us again to use the same assets in different backgrounds for new campaigns or seasonal offers. 

But don’t take our word for it. Here’s what K18 said: “We had a great experience working with Welpix on our first set of CGI product images & animations. Highly recommend them for their professionalism, quality, and customer service. They accommodated all of our edits & made sure they delivered exactly what we were looking for. Process was smooth from start to finish!”

This little case study is meant to show you the power of CGI in modern marketing challenges. The flexibility, quality, and incredible speed-to-market it provides are hard to match any other way. So for brands that need to launch faster, smarter, and control their creative vision with absolute precision, CGI product photography and 3D product modeling are the new standard.