If ol’ blue eyes Sinatra is the most revered Frank in the world, then perhaps frank body can be awarded most cheeky. The Melbourne-based brand renowned for its body scrubs has grown from strength-to-strength since its inception, thanks largely to its embrace of tongue-in-cheek humour, coupled with a winning formula for coffee-infused skincare.
And then of course there’s frank body’s social media - the brand’s embrace of Instagram shows how it should be done - its two Instagram accounts @frank_bod and @frankfeedback sit at 666,000 and 72,500 followers respectively. With one of ’s coffee-based body scrubs sold every 40 seconds, it seems safe to say the brand is on a fast track to becoming one of Australia’s most successful beauty exports.
BD spoke to frank body’s co-founder Jess Hatzis to learn more about the brand’s beginnings, social media success, and gaining notoriety as a saviour for serious skin concerns.
What do you think resonates about the frank body brand with consumers?
Other than the caffeine? frank body tells it like it is and customers appreciate the brand's honesty. And the cheek. And products that do what they say they will.
How has frank body as a brand changed since its inception?
frank body has grown up with its customers. It’s expanded from a single product, a coffee scrub, to an entire coffee-based skincare range that is now sold all over the world.
Has your target audience changed at all?
Our target audience is largely females, 16 to 35. However, many adults use frank body products on children to treat skin conditions such as eczema and psoriasis. Many men have been known to get dirty too. Cue: #realmenscrub.
What led to the creation of the @frankfeedback account?
A few months after we launched our first product - the Original Body Scrub - into the world we started receiving incredible before and after photos from our customers. From stretch marks and cellulite, to more serious skin conditions such as eczema, psoriasis, rosacea and acne. We knew of the benefits of using caffeine topically but it was really incredible to see such drastic results, especially [considering] for many people the only treatment options previously were steroids or prescription medication.
Were you long aware of the powerful effect of caffeine on the body before the brand was launched?
We had done a lot of research into why caffeine was so beneficial when applied topically and engaged a medical researcher who used peer reviewed studies to help us understand further how it helped specific conditions. Caffeine has a high antioxidant content, fights free radicals and environmental damage, it has the same PH as your skin which means it won’t leave you feeling dry, and most importantly, caffeine can stimulate blood flow and promote collagen production. When used in conjunction with natural oils and natural ingredients known for their soothing or healing properties, that’s when people experience #thefrankeffect.
What are the key differences users will notice after use of frank?
Softer, smoother skin. Immediately. The whole range is designed to be used as a simple routine: scrub first, moisturise second. People targeting specific conditions will see improvements after a few uses and ongoing use is recommended to maintain results.
What is the leading skin affliction driving users to frank?
Most people use our products simply to treat dry skin as they are first and foremost exfoliators and moisturisers. The various products are better suited at targeting certain conditions. For example, the Body Scrubs and Body Balm are great for targeting stretch marks, while The Creamy Face Cleanser and Creamy Face Scrub are great for targeting acne and rosacea. The Body Scrubs and Body Cream help to soothe pesky skin conditions such as eczema and psoriasis.
What makes frank stand out from the other organic brands and coffee scrubs in the marketplace?
At the time of launching, there were no other coffee scrubs on the market, so that definitely helped, but we believe it was frank body’s unique voice and cheeky approach to beauty that helped it to stand out. Customers appreciated the light hearted nature of the brand, they wanted to be part of it, they wanted to tell other people about it. That’s what has ultimately led us to grow to where we are now, with over 100,000 user-generated photos on Instagram.
