Sunscreen branding is getting a new performance-driven twist with Runblock, a new sunscreen brand created specifically for runners. Rather than relying on the clinical and pharmaceutical visual language commonly associated with sun protection, Runblock embraces the realities of running—heat, sweat and intense sunlight—to build a distinctive identity.
The brand identity was developed by designers Tess Lockhart and George Fletcher, who created a visual world designed to evoke the feeling of being out in the heat. The approach deliberately moves away from conventional sunscreen cues and instead makes the product feel closely connected to the running experience.
Designed Around the Runner
What makes Runblock particularly interesting is its sharply defined target audience. While sunscreen brands have increasingly experimented with playful and unconventional identities, Runblock focuses specifically on runners—a group whose relationship with sunscreen is shaped by sweat, prolonged outdoor exposure and regular physical activity.
The branding therefore attempts to communicate performance and the physical experience of running rather than simply presenting sunscreen as a conventional skincare product.
Breaking Away From Conventional Sunscreen Codes
The DIELINE notes that brands such as Vacation, Evil Ray and SLATHER have already challenged the traditional pharmaceutical appearance of sunscreen packaging. Runblock takes this evolution a step further by building its entire brand proposition around a specific activity and lifestyle.
This shift reflects a broader packaging trend: products are increasingly being designed around specific consumer communities rather than broad product categories.
For packaging designers, Runblock demonstrates how identifying a precise consumer occasion can create opportunities for a much stronger visual and emotional connection.
A Strong Opportunity for Packaging Innovation
Runblock's positioning also highlights the growing importance of packaging as part of a product's performance story. For active consumers, packaging needs to communicate more than protection and functionality—it can become an extension of the activity itself.
By connecting its visual identity to heat, sweat and running, Runblock creates a differentiated presence within an otherwise crowded sunscreen market.
The takeaway: the next generation of personal-care packaging may not simply compete on ingredients or claims. Increasingly, brands are winning by understanding who uses the product, when they use it and what that experience feels like.