Hard seltzer is a refreshing blend of fruit infusions mixed with sparkling water. A new category of low-alcohol, low-calorie, gluten and guilt-free drinks, rumoured to not give any hangover, that took the US by storm. We were asked to create India’s first Hard seltzer by Anish Reddy, a fourth-generation entrepreneur from Chennai who after moving back from Miami, saw the potential to introduce the drink in India. The goal for the products was to be recognised as a fun and flavourful brand, developing recipes that used natural local Indian flavours while also channelling some of the nostalgia connected with soda drinks, a favourite in Indian drinking habits.
A sense of nostalgia underpins the whole concept without compromising on freshness, energy and dynamism.
We wanted to capture the pure and innocent joy of a tasty sparkling soda, for grown-ups. A sparkling indulgence that is defying guilt and encourages freedom. Its purpose is to elevate the spirit and create a positive and caring place. With an inclusive attitude, we created free associations between ingredients, illustrations and naming to transmit fun and encourage the mind to wander. To go someplace where there isn’t any trouble.
The Wizard of Oz was used as an overall inspiration for the brand narrative. The characters in the movie all have dreams, and along the way to find the wizard, they learn that their limitations are of their own making. The song “Over the rainbow” at the beginning of the movie is the further inspiration for the naming system, describing places where dreams really do comes true.
Our first strategic decision was to create a custom bottle instead of filling slim cans, a category-defying approach offering a more nostalgic look and stronger premium cues. We looked into the history of soda bottles to find details that felt familiar while distinctive.
The result is a cylindric cross-section shape, gradually blended with a moderate length neck with straight and twisted grooves and embossed text adding a tactile effect and creating interesting refractions once filled with liquid. The bottles also allows to be reused several times, a routine already in place in India of recovering bottles that are washed and refilled; part of a system where all waste water gets recycled and reused called Effluent Treatment Process (ETP).
“Behind the moon”, “Way up high”, “Far far away” and “Magic lane” are the first 4 products in the range. Taste and illustrations are color coded, and instead of portraying only the ingredients, the illustrations are offering a larger canvas for storytelling and expressing their own universe, adding an extra dose of positivity.
Peach & White tea, uses peaches from Georgia, and since Georgia was famous for its Jazz scene in the 50-ies we set up a jazz band on a peachy cheeked moon.
For Strawberry & Rose, a gardener climbs a ladder to smell the roses, suggesting to take the time to appreciate the beauty of life. Mango & Chilli is the most exotic one, set “far far away” in a desert, where a business man is looking for an adventure. Mosambi & mint pays homage to the local childhood memory of street vendors selling this drink, a classic of Indian refreshments. Each character is intended to enhance the multiplicity and uniqueness of people.
Never seen in full on the bottles, Joren Joshuas illustrations are playing an important role also on the outer cases of the bottles, and in the communication, with a potential of becoming desirable products as t-shirts, beach towels etc.
The metal crown tops are paying homage to the heydays of soda, showing the illustrations and becoming almost collectible items. Each flavours have its own axiom inspired by the name and illustration, for example “Pursue your rhythm” or “Pursue what you love” printed on the inside of each crown top. They function as an aspiration or fortune cookie.
Year: 2021
Client: Pursue Hard Seltzer (India)
Industries: Beverage
Deliverables:
Design strategy, Identity, Packaging, Art Direction, Illustration, Naming, Storytelling, Custom bottle
Materials:
Glass, Paper, Aluminium
Techniques:
Glass casting, Glass engraving, Offset printing
Collaborators:
Joren Joshua (Netherlands), Illustration
Anne Valeur, Photography
Ole Magnus Saxegard, Animation
Mathias Hansson, CAD Development
