Imperial 

Barber Grade Products

Art direction, photography and video direction, packaging and campaign design for Imperial Barber Products.

The Blacktop Pomade campaign embraced a minimalistic black-and-white aesthetic, punctuated by the brand’s signature red, to subtly reinforce the brand while maintaining a utilitarian identity. It was the first fully black and white campaign for Imperial, marking a shift toward minimalism and rawness. The work extended across a brand campaign, video, photo shoot, packaging, web, and social channels, supporting the company’s mission to bring barbering traditions into the modern grooming landscape.

Along the way we updated the brand’s packaging across the entire product line and created all new graphics for web and social channels.

Client
Imperial Barber Products

Category
Art Direction, Brand Strategy, Packaging, UI/UX, Photography, Video, Campaign, Beauty, Lifestyle

Year
2015

Captions
(1) Blacktop Pomade video spot; (2) Pomade branding & packaging; (3) Lifestyle photos; (4) Web banner; (5) Mobile web design; (6) Classic Pomade ad; (7) Blacktop Pomade still life; (8) Barbering action shot; (9) Website design; (10) Lifestyle photos; (11) Barbering action shot; (12) Website design; (13) Lifestyle photo, Blacktop Pomade photo still life; (14) Lifestyle photo

Credits
(Art Direction, Design) Michael J. Salter for Rent Control Creative; [with] (Creative Direction) Matt Lindauer; (Art Direction, Design) Joe Tornatzky, Anthony Wyborny; (Photography) Darren Ankenman; (Video) Scott Wild; (UX/UI) Scott Orchard
IMPERIAL


All Works ©2025 Michael J. Salter