Brand Evolution

We are not branding experts, not by any stretch of the imagination. We have been described as blending wizards (the inner Gandalf in me is particularly fond of this comparison), but the truth is, we are creators of curious blends aiming to change the way the world drinks. So to be able to portray that message and deliver our mission, we know full well the importance of branding. We know we have a quality product, and a good product has always stood the test of time, but as the world moves on, progresses through the ages and evolves, it becomes apparent that a brand must also move forwards.

At Blendsmiths, we have always put one foot in front of the other with consideration to our humble beginnings. Using colours that represent our own personalities and the personalities of our creations.

Presenting design that spoke louder than we could and packaging that would bring it all together, hopefully resonating with consumers far and wide. We love our brand and we are passionate about our craft but after five years in the market we felt Blendsmiths required a fresh look.

In our eyes, this came in the form of evolution rather than development, upgrade or any other adjective that would denote change. Evolution made more sense to us, we are proud of where Blendsmiths is – the question was, how could we continue the great work we had done so far, elevate the brand in a special way that connected with more people whilst still staying true to our beginnings?

We needed to bring in the experts.

Bringing in an agency (strangers) in to reposition and re-brand Blendsmiths in truth felt very impersonal and any owner of a brand they care about, should naturally tread with caution to open their front door to others.

Bringing in local, talented people has always been our way and has been important in many facets of our business. The brand evolution would be no different.

This is where Manchester based agency, Creative Spark, came in. They spent 6 months getting to know Blendsmiths- who we are as people and who our community of consumers are.

They became an extension of our team and our creative partner. With over 20 years experience assisting small brands in brand evolution, they have become the perfect partner to take Blendsmiths on a new journey of possibility.

"Brands and customers alike, do evolve"

-Bernard Kelvin Clive (Author and speaker)

The Brief

We challenged Creative Spark with maintaining the energy and originality of Blendsmiths but the new image had to bring a vibrancy that enable it to really ‘pop’ and stand out on the shelves.

The Process

Working hand-in-hand with Blendsmiths, Creative Spark set out to cut through the noise and elevate the brand. First, they identified Blendsmiths position in the market, looking at overall brand message and helping to simplify and explain who and what Blendsmiths are. Creative Spark then designed specific naming conventions that would help the more exotic blends such as Beetroot and Ginger sit comfortably alongside household drinks such as Hot Chocolate and Matcha.

The result was a set of guidelines that anchored Blendsmiths commitment to making alternative choices easy and changing the way the world drinks.

Perfectly Blended

With an updated look and feel that stood out from competitors and brought Blendsmiths into the spotlight, an informative brand book was developed that presented the new brand in a playful and easy to digest way, as well as providing a clear guide for the creation of future assets and content.

The styling was also rolled out across applications. We developed a selection of product packaging options including bags and boxes, as well as a suite of branded collateral which included merchandise.

Blendsmiths has always been about challenging the status quo, pushing the boundaries of possibilities and providing alternative drinking options that intrigued consumers and got them re-thinking their daily routines.

This approach is in more than just our blends- it’s in everything we do. You never quite know what the outcome of any change will be, and how it will be received by others, but nothing great was ever achieved without taking risks.

Here at Blendsmiths, we will always continue to challenge ourselves and our brand, to provoke curiosity in others and to continue to read our passion for innovating the way the world drinks.