Two Brains is a range of drinks that nourish your gut and elevate your mind. A refreshing, premium non-alc Kombucha with Lion’s mane, combining gut-health with the mental focus of this incredible mushroom.
The gut, where 70% of the immune system is located, is often referred to as the ‘second brain’, playing a crucial role in overall health, hence Two—Brains. This physical overlap of gut, and brain, led to the brand device at the centre of the packaging design. This strategic product truth of gut-health and mental-health being at the core of the product, and brand. This interconnected relationship comes through in both the logomark, typography and kombucha packaging.
There’s a number of players in the Lion’s mane and mushroom market, but very few gave the consumer an easy access point to the mushroom movement. Key to our brand positioning was ensuring we avoided the obvious cliches and cheap drug references that are irrelevant to the product.
A premium drink, for a more discerning consumer looking to bolster their immune system, add some perk, and enjoy a great tasting kombucha.
Our work with Le Col covers strategic consulting and creative direction, as well as full delivery of large scale campaigns for digital, eCommerce, paid social, marketing and eCRM. In more recent years we have played a more pro-active role in rooting out key issues within the business and putting systems in place to reduce strain on resource, improve the quality, and reduce spend. Our focus has always been to do more, for less, by using our years of expertise to streamline the areas that are being over-serviced, but not at the expense of the bigger creative and conceptual wins.
We’re not usually ones to boast about what we do, but when we started this journey, Le Col was an unknown entity, from an unknown bike rider. In the past decade we have built a brand that has secured over £15m+ in funding, has worked with the highest calibre of Tour winning riders, Giro winning teams and a host of enviable partnerships. From the logo to the TV commercials, we can proudly say we’ve had our hand in most of it.
We’re always striving to build on the brand – for higher quality assets, more consistently, with a premium brand offering. But, more than that, we want the passion that most of us riders feel to be handled with care, it’s not just a commodity, and those working on it should enjoy the journey. This passion and drive culminates in more functional deliverables like our over-arching concept development for 2024 below.
Our strategic approach has led to a number of key improvements across the business – an overhaul of email marketing; including new guidelines, a new hierarchy and photography approach, flexible templates, as well as implementing automated batching and scripting processes across the bulk of its products. Having seen first hand the internal issues as the business scaled, we could resolve repetition, as well as specifics like global pricing, gender splits, slow turnaround times and high volumes of assets. Delivering a 60% reduction in design and marketing resource, with more control being put back into the eCRM team to focus on performance.
We’ve audited and recommended better solutions for photography and videography across the board, looking to elevate the offering at all opportunities from a customer perspective. We’ve introduced some immensely talented creatives from photographers, videographers, 3D/designers, animators, production companies and directors along the way, who continue to deliver the vision. This enthusiasm has most noticeable improved the digital and eCommerce proposition with a much more forward focussed approach to improvements and nimble, data-driven, iterations.
Having audited the brand development from previous seasons, we created a flexible identity system that would streamline internal resource without impacting on the quality of the output. By producing an over-arching design system, we were able to build an identity that was dynamic enough to deliver simpler, more templated, solutions when the deadlines are tight, whilst having the ability to be flexible on larger campaigns. We also delivered a large proportion of the output and art direction across all platforms.
The forward slash solution and frame device allowed room for creativity, maintaining a consistent look and feel across multiple products and ranges. The key was to find a solution that enabled typography, a key brand pillar, to work effectively as well as leave room to be playful without stringent rules that would stifle exploration.
As part of the brand audit, we also gave recommendations on shoot direction and photography approaches for social media and all digital platforms. As well as creating a new set of brand guidelines across eCrm, to again, pull back valuable time that was being lost, but also to raise the bar on the quality of output. We overhauled the teams approach to studio & model photography that considers UI and UX work that is in progress.
Our unique position allows us to really understand where the internal team can make better use of resources, driving competitive edge and deliver across multiple channels effectively. A future-proofed approach that can be built on for the next season.
Adapted and applied to the Le Col x Wiggins launch:
Dorian has all the hallmarks of a classic French bistro, marble bar tops, wood panelling and leather banquettes, but as the name implies, there is a slight undertone of something different. This latest addition to the Notting Hill restaurant scene is being referred to as a ‘anti-Notting Hill bistro’. Dorian boasts an exquisite menu of beautiful seasonal British produce and an enviable wine list.
The identity is derived from iconic French bistro mosaic tiles. It takes a more playful and modern approach, in line with the restaurants’ ethos, with a slight nod to Parisian street art.
New brand identity and packaging work for Strykk, building on the original foundations we developed for them in 2018. Whilst our underlying strategy remains the same, a number of external factors have led to the need to reinvigorate the brand and re-align the growing portfolio.
Starting with refinements to the logo, we opted for a holding shape that become the central block device that runs through the whole identity. Extrapolated from the three overlapping oblongs that created the original Strykk asterisk, it builds as the common thread for packaging, and is both exaggerated or subtly implemented as a consistent graphic device across all channel executions.
We’ve built on the strong colour palette, bringing in a wider set of bold and complementary tones to increase standout and build better differentiation between products. Typography opts for a more refined sans serif and a slight coming of age, moving from the unruly uppercase Futura Condensed used previously, to a more conversational approach. As before our focus on tone of voice remains confident and unapologetic, a key pillar of the brand.
The original strategy and positioning remains, inspired by the idea of enjoying a night out without compromise. A love of going out, being part of the story and not missing out. Removing the stigma of ‘not’ drinking, by delivering a product with the taste and complexity to build a proper drink with 0% Abv Distilled Spirit.
At the heart Strykk remains disruptive and steadfast in its unwillingness to just fit a mould. A bold approach that needed a bold brand, unapologetic and full of energy. We’re not about kooky craft, forced aspiration or self-importance. Uniquely summed up as; All the spirit. None of the alcohol.
“Limited Edition Design has been at the forefront of Strykk’s brand and visual identity since its inception in 2018. When tasked to overhaul and update the packaging and identity, a clear, comprehensive, and succinct sprint process was followed from start to finish – and at the highest standard. What has resulted, we feel, is a truly world class brand and visual identity, all packaged up neatly in a set of bullet-proof Brand Guidelines to mark the next stage of our business growth.”
Tom Glover, Brand Manager, Strykk
Agency: Limited Edition Design
Creative Director: Paul Greeno
3D & Motion: Sergio Beggiato
Photography: Jeremy Baile
