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Tampons in an Ice Cream Pint Make a Whimsical Statement

Feminine care company Rael launches a unique recyclable carton in stores and online.

Regular Compact Cotton Icecream Gj Copy

Feminine care brand Rael is a startup founded in 2017 by three Korean American women who wanted to bring wellbeing to women’s lifestyles, offering products free of harsh chemicals. “Because we grew up in Korea, we grew up using Korean feminine care products, which we found are higher performing and more comfortable,” says CEO Yanghee Paik.

The women all came from various work backgrounds and learned about the personal care market as they went. “I used to be a movie distributor at the Walt Disney Studios,” explains Paik. One cofounder is a designer and the third, a best-selling writer on empowerment and female leadership.

Rael co-founder and CEO Yanghee PaikRael co-founder and CEO Yanghee Paik

Beginning with feminine pads and liners—which Paik says are more popular in Korea—they were focused on using high quality ingredients, opting for organic cotton from Texas. “In this space, it's a big advantage that we are female-founded and that we knew exactly what we wanted as consumers ourselves. That really helped a lot to get the product right,” she notes.

Their first product line was successful. Three to four months after launching on Amazon, they became the number one brand in the segment. They knew the tampon market was big in the U.S. and branched out. “After getting some strong VC backing, we launched our B2C sites and then our big mission was to secure a brick and mortar distribution channel” to catch consumers passing by and make it easy for them to repurchase.

Rael secured a deal and began selling in Target stores in 2019. In addition to pads and tampons, they began producing hygienic wipes, heating pads, and skincare. 

With two tampon SKUs on the market—a long applicator and a cardboard applicator both in traditional cartons—Rael wanted fresh packaging for their new compact tampons.

Whimsical look

“With this third launch in the tampon family, we wanted to do something very unique. You think about who is using this compact tampon. It’s a smaller package for people who are more active, who live a dynamic life, and are maybe more adventurous,” Paik says. “So we wanted to do something that's a little more fun for these consumers. 

The team searched for a lid that’s tight enough so it doesn't get loose—they are able to apply two smaller adhesive stickers on the sides instead of applying tape all the way around.The team searched for a lid that’s tight enough so it doesn't get loose—they are able to apply two smaller adhesive stickers on the sides instead of applying tape all the way around.

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