Premium Non-alcoholic Drink Packaging Design
Herb & Orchid is a ready-to-drink spirit-free beverage brand with a global fusion twist. The brand is dedicated to providing a flavorful non-alcoholic experience, where consumers can feel the same sophisticated, social aspect of drinking without the negative effects.
Leaning on both the founder’s travels through her army experience and a palette cultivated partially by her chef father, Herb & Orchid blends bold global flavors to create a high-end beverage that transforms the way you celebrate (no alcohol needed!)
The non-alcoholic drink startup needed packaging design and branding that would set the brand apart from other mocktail options, communicate the unique aspects of the product, and establish a powerful and memorable brand image.
- Brand messaging
- Tagline
- Brand tone and voice guide
- Brand identity
- Mood boards
- Package design
An Empowering
Tagline
Herb & Orchid had several unique features—the global fusion, the chef-inspired commitment to flavor, and the driving brand story of empowering socialization and celebration without alcohol. We needed to center the tagline around one of these pieces, establishing the direction for the brand messaging.
The founder experienced the benefits of going alcohol-free, including increased mental clarity, but she knew firsthand how much pressure and expectation of drinking people go through at outings, celebrations, and social events.
She was committed to changing that, creating a sophisticated non-alcoholic option that allowed people to celebrate without feeling sidelined or ostracized for choosing to consume less alcohol. We wanted the tagline to capture that commitment and inspiration.
The tagline encourages consumers to feel empowered in their choices, and conveyed the idea that celebrations and milestones don’t have to involve alcohol.
We created the tagline “Redefine Celebration,” an uplifting message that encouraged consumers to celebrate on their own terms.
A Brand Tone
and Voice Guide
Defines the Message
A brand tone and voice guide establishes a brand’s feel, the emotions associated with it, and the core messages customers will resonate with. It defines how to communicate these messages, including specific phrasing guidelines.
The brand tone and voice guide lays the foundation for all brand communication, ensuring that website copy, email marketing, and social media messaging are all aligned, seamlessly creating a cohesive brand message.
We developed an in-depth brand tone and voice guide for Herb & Orchid, weaving in the unique features and important brand essence elements.
The brand tone and voice guide establishes what the brand should sound like, how customers should feel when they interact with the brand, and the core qualities that set the brand apart.
It also provides specific brand language guidelines and examples of phrases to use and not use in the brand’s messaging.
Through our market research, we discovered that many mocktail drinkers are also alcohol drinkers—they might prefer to cut back for a variety of reasons, but they are often sober-curious rather than sober. It was important for the brand to not isolate these consumers or come across as judgmental. The messaging needed to feel inclusive and uplifting to connect to the audience.
Mood Boards Lay
the Visual Foundation
Just like the brand tone and voice guide creates the foundation for brand messaging, the mood boards establish the visual direction for a brand. We designed visual mood boards that conveyed imagery, inspiration, colors, and typography that would align with the messaging and evoke an empowering feeling in the audience.
Visual mood boards allow brand owners to visualize the branding direction as a whole before any designs are created, ensuring that everyone is on the same page and serving as a guideline for future branding decisions.
The mood boards communicate industry insights, provide visual inspiration, and ultimately determine the direction for the drink packaging design. Our mood boards featured two distinct branding directions for the founder to choose from—both inspired by the complexity of flavor that served as a unique brand differentiator.
CONCEPT ONE: INSPIRED FLAVORS
The first direction focused on inspired flavors, centering on the sophisticated flavor profile of the products. This direction would feature vibrant, high-contrast colors with custom illustrations weaving together fruit and herbal imagery to represent the flavors. The packaging would be artsy and chic, creating a sophisticated look.
CONCEPT TWO: GLOBAL APPEAL
The second direction centered on the global feel, inspired by the brand owner’s experiences traveling and developing an appreciation for flavors throughout the world. Inour deep-dive exploration of the brand, the founder shared that her military background allowed her to experience new cultures and flavors, leading to the global fusion in her product. We wanted this concept to capture that idea and bring it to life in the drink packaging and branding.
This concept would include imagery and illustrations based on the cultures the flavors came from, along with playful typography and bold colors that felt exotic and intriguing.
Ultimately, the final drink packaging design took inspiration from both concepts, primarily centered in the global flavor direction.
A Playful,
Celebratory Logo
We designed a retro-inspired logo that reflected celebration and connection. The custom, hand-lettered typography is unique to the brand, evoking the same bold confidence as someone choosing to celebrate on their own terms, breaking away from social expectations.
The drop in the H symbolizes refreshment—a shape we carried into the label design as well—while the block style throughout the rest of the letters feels sophisticated but also full of fun.
A Global-Inspired
Drink Packaging DesigN
We designed the drink packaging to reflect the global fusion, drawing inspiration from the countries of origin in each primary flavor. Both drink packaging designs feature custom patterns in contrasting, bold colors, with the color-blocked drop shape representing refreshment and providing a backdrop for the logo and flavor.
Mediterranean Hibiscus Spritz
For this flavor, the drink packaging design uses a custom geometric pattern inspired by Mediterranean culture and art—often using intertwined mosaic tiles, motifs, and patterns.
Asian Pear & Agave Sparkler
The design for this drink packaging incorporates a custom pattern inspired by hand-held fans—a nod to the Asian soju pear flavor.
The sleek brand fonts, Quiroh and Helvetica, add a sophisticated touch and balance out the whimsy of the hand-lettered logo.
The design is both maximalist and simple, with an engaging background pattern but devoid of clutter. The bold, high-contrast colors feel chic but warm, establishing a high-end celebratory atmosphere.
The results
This premium non-alcoholic drink packaging design set the stage for a successful launch for Herb & Orchid, allowing them to stand out from other mocktail options and connect with the audience both online and in stores.
