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Otherway brings Cowshed back to its Somerset roots with wild botanical illustrations
Otherway's rebranding of Cowshed emphasizes a return to its Somerset roots, leveraging vibrant botanical illustrations and a refined design to differentiate the brand in a competitive market. This strategy highlights the importance of authenticity and heritage in branding, suggesting that brands can regain their distinctiveness by reconnecting with their origins while appealing to modern consumers.
Creative Boom: News Branding Otherway brings Cowshed back to its Somerset roots with wild botanical illustrations With Aesop, Byredo and a wave of tomato-leaf-touting newcomers fighting for space in our bathrooms, Cowshed needed to stand out again. Otherway's refresh reconnects the brand with its rural Somerset beginnings. Written By: Katy Cowan 7 July 2026 Cowshed has always been one of those brands that feels like an indulgence. It's right up there with Wildsmith and Aesop, but it's always been the more affordable option in the category without losing any luxuriousness.
Soho House founder Nick Jones created the original Cowshed spa at Babington House in Somerset in the late '90s, later developing a line of hand soap, lotions, shower gels, shampoos, and conditioners for the hotel and the wider public. It was shaped by its rural surroundings back then. Perfumer Richard Howard developed the products using ingredients from the hotel's Victorian walled garden. Now it's in our shops and featured across the growing Soho House empire. It was that natural ingredients approach that did the brand proud; people loved the idea of using something straight from the wild. It was a differentiator that worked well.
Despite its success, it faces increasingly stiff competition. A quick browse on Liberty or Selfridges, and yes, there's Aesop and all the OGs, but new challengers I've never heard of are now also fighting for our cash. There's Commune, Bamford, Byredo – they all look appealing. Loewe, Matière Première, Frédéric Malle – all with beautiful packaging that screams wealth. That's the whole point. I liken hair and body care packaging to wine bottles. If the label looks good, surely it's high quality, right? Basic instincts, but on that beauty and wellness shelf, when luxury buys aren't as frequent, you have to stand out.
It's also about spoiling yourself or showing off. You want something that indulges your guests in your spare bathroom or downstairs loo while showing them you have impeccable taste (and deep pockets). You also want to keep the packaging when the soap runs out because it's so beautiful. When that happens, as any savvy person will secretly admit, you simply fill the same bottle with cheaper stuff. When it comes to branding, there's the medical, ingredient-heavy approach. Or minimal typography with muted cool tones. The shape of the bottles also counts. And then there are the ingredients and product descriptions.
It's become so bonkers in recent years, when you realise each hand soap has a ridiculous main ingredient like tomato leaves and an accompanying backstory that forgets it's just a nice, smelly gel. Hey, I'm northern. And don't quite understand the madness or the expense. But as someone who appreciates great design, I do occasionally succumb to a nice hand lotion or "posh" shampoo, and Cowshed is one of those brands I'll always reach for if I'm feeling flush. In recent years, though, I've gone for other lotions and potions, admittedly because I preferred the branding. And this adds up to Otherway's recent overhaul of Cowshed.
Let's face it, Cowshed was starting to lose its distinctiveness. Its offering was getting lost among newer products, and it lacked the contrast and charm that once set it apart. (It was only last year that London branding agency Spinach was brought in for the same task and did a brilliant job – that just shows how fast-moving this market has become.) For this latest refresh, Otherway was brought in to reconnect Cowshed with its roots while making it more appealing to modern consumers. After reviewing every aspect of the brand, Otherway leaned into a fun balance between rural life, hedonistic nights and pure indulgence.
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The rebranding of Cowshed by Otherway is significant for the brand/design industry as it emphasizes authenticity and heritage, which are increasingly important in today's market, making it relevant and somewhat novel in its approach.