Responses by Vanderbrand
Background: Sapsucker originally entered the market as a flat maple tree water. Now, it’s reinvented with a lineup of three sparkling water products: The Original One, The Lime One, and The Lemon One. Commissioned by Lower Valley Beverage Company (LVBC) to rebrand Sapsucker in-line with this repositioning, we developed a strategy that targets those who “enjoy life and live well,” producing the trademarked tagline, Pairs Well with Life.
Reasoning: We wanted to design a brand system that considers every touchpoint, including the functionality of the packaging and its shelf presence. We created an unboxing experience to highlight Sapsucker’s sustainability mandate and paired it with an eye-catching shelf presence, clever messaging and a witty tone in order to establish a no-nonsense and unique visual language.
Challenges: The packaging design process, specifically the creation of the custom eight-pack foldable carrier, as we wanted to create a system that considered every touchpoint of the brand. The other key to success relied upon the meticulous detail that went into ensuring brand details, such as color management, were seamlessly executed across a variety of packaging deliverables, photography and digital platforms.
Favorite details: We put a lot of effort into making sure the rebranded product aligns with Sapsucker as an environmentally friendly beverage. We developed a custom eight-pack foldable carrier with minimal adhesive, making it more recyclable than the average carrier, and highlighted Sapsucker’s mandate to maintain sustainable processes for the planet. We also worked hard to make sure the rebranded product not only looks and tastes great, but also that it encompasses a unique, witty tone. In doing so, Sapsucker has become a testimony not only to the beverage itself, but also to those who drink it.
Visual influences: The visual identity is strongly informed by Sapsucker’s Canadian roots. The wordmark and accompanying typography take cues from Canadian nostalgia, such as local sports apparel and retail packaging. Pairing the historically referenced typeface with a modern graphic language results in a visual system that is appropriate, distinctive and flexible for varied scales and applications. The can design is simple, bold and warm—a visual embodiment of Canadian nostalgia in contemporary Canadian culture.
Anything new: It was exciting for us to be involved in the manufacturing and packaging process of a product. This allowed us to engage in the creation of a full brand experience. We especially enjoyed creating an unexpected Canadian product from every angle: a holistic brand with a clear and consistent approach across the brand identity, product naming, packaging, copywriting, digital applications, social media and art direction.
Browse Projects
