REBRAND

Strategic REBRAND that brought clarity and confidence to a zero-alcohol spirits range.

Four bottles of flavored liquids are lined up on a kitchen countertop. The bottles are labeled 'Imposter,' 'Saboteur,' 'Pretender,' and 'Charlatan,' in green, purple, red, and orange colors respectively. The kitchen has a large window showing a garden outside.
Influx logo with orange text inside a diamond shape on a black background.

CASE STUDY

Client / Category
Artisan Distillers — Zero-alcohol spirits distiller

Challenge
A growing range that lacked clarity at shelf, limiting trade confidence and slowing range uptake

Solution
REBRAND — full brand and packaging transformation

Outcome
Improved distributor confidence and stronger retail uptake

A crystal glass filled with ice, a slice of lime, and a sprig of rosemary next to a bottle of Imposer Lime Flavoured Zero Alcohol Gin on a kitchen countertop.

Built through a clear three-stage approach

Clarity → Visibility → Consistency

THE CHALLENGE

Interest in zero-alcohol spirits was growing, and the product itself was performing well in tastings and early conversations. However, the brand’s packaging hadn’t kept pace with the category’s maturation. At shelf, the range was hard to understand, with multiple SKUs competing rather than working together.

This created hesitation for distributors and retailers, who struggled to quickly grasp the brand’s role, quality cues, and target audience. In a fast-crowding category, unclear presentation became a commercial risk — limiting range uptake and slowing broader distribution momentum.

A before image of a clear bottle of 'the Imposter Lime Finger Counterfeit Gin' with a black cap, featuring a minimalist line drawing of a woman's face with flowers in her hair, set against a plain gray background.

Before

An after image of a clear glass bottle of lime-flavoured zero alcohol gin with a wooden cap, labeled 'IMPOSTER' from Artisan Distillers, with lime slices inside, set against a plain light background.

After

THE INSIGHT

A typical response would have been to make each product louder or more visually distinctive to stand out. In an emerging category, that approach often increases confusion rather than confidence.

What was actually missing was clear category signalling at a brand level. The problem wasn’t individual labels — it was the absence of a unified system that clearly positioned the brand as a credible, premium zero-alcohol spirits range that trade could understand and sell with confidence.

Four bottles of counterfeit gin with floral label art, each labeled with a different female archetype: Imposter, Pretender, Charlatan, Deceiver, with distinctive colors and designs.

Before

OUR APPROACH

The work was guided by a simple principle: alignment over novelty.

Key decisions included:

  • Clarifying the brand’s role within the zero-alcohol spirits category

  • Defining the signals that justify premium pricing in the target market

  • Rebuilding the packaging system so the range read clearly as one brand

  • Ensuring the range communicates clearly and consistently across all SKUs

Design decisions were made from the perspective of the complete business — not just individual labels. Packaging and brand touch points were considered to ensure the brand held together wherever it appeared.

Influx logo in orange on a black background.
Laptop screen displaying four colorful label designs labeled Imposter, Pretender, Saboteur, and Charlatan.
Laptop displaying four colourful back wine labels named Imposter, Pretender, Saboteur, and Charlatan, arranged from green to red, on a wooden table with a blurred background.
A laptop displaying an abstract digital artwork of a woman's face with closed eyes, surrounded by pink, orange, and red splashes and geometric shapes.
Open laptop on a wooden table displaying an infographic about a beverage bottle, with text and an artistic green and yellow face image, surrounded by a brown wall and some blurred plants in the foreground.

THE RESULT

Externally, distributor conversations became easier and more productive. The range was clearer at shelf, making it simpler for trade partners to understand how the products fit together and where they belonged. This led to increased uptake and stronger retail presence nationally.

Internally, the client reported greater pride and confidence when presenting the brand. With a clear system in place, decisions became faster and less reactive. The result was a mix of qualitative and quantitative gains, supported by positive distributor feedback and increased sales into retail outlets.

Four bottles of colorful liquids labeled Imposter, Pretender, Saboteur, and Charlatan, each with a wooden lid and clear glass body.

After

WHY IT WORKED

By prioritising category clarity over visual noise, the brand moved from being part of the confusion to setting a clear reference point in an emerging space. The REBRAND addressed how the brand was understood, not just how it looked, making the outcome repeatable for other categories where uncertainty limits sales.

IS THIS FOR YOU?

  • You’re an established beverage brand entering an emerging or misunderstood category

  • Your business has multiple SKUs that don’t yet work together at shelf

  • Your leadership team that wants trade confidence, not just better visuals

    This is not for brands chasing novelty, trends, or execution-only design without strategic clarity

Is REBRAND the right step for you?

DISCUSS YOUR NEXT STEP