From Conception to Completion: Ever Beverage Co. Case Study
The Background
Ever Beverage Co. was founded by an entrepreneur who wanted to create a line of products (starting with a beverage) that catered to the outdoor / survivalist / doomsday prepper crowd. They reached out to me with an early concept called L1S (Last One Standing) that was described as, “David Goggins in a can”.
Inspired by old military surplus cans, their initial packaging design concept was rugged and tough with muted earth tones. The type of can you may see stacked up in a apocalypse bunker. Their pitch deck said, “L1S is where resilience meets refreshment. Our mission: to provide Fuel for Humanity™. Inspired by the unyielding determination of those who thrive in the face of challenges, we’ve crafted a line of functional beverages designed to fortify your spirit and nourish your body.”
They approached me with this early-stage concept to help them:
- Build a brand identity and brand story, including brand guidelines, logo, and packaging, etc.
- Develop a comprehensive GTM strategy, including budget allocation
- Create a custom eCommerce website, including SEO-enriched blog posts
- Develop and implement a social media strategy
- Ideate on formulation and product line expansion
The Challenges
The main challenge was this wasn’t a company yet, it was a concept. So with a lean team and budget, there was a lot of work to be done. Aside from a rough deck that they put together, there wasn’t much else to go on. This was good in some ways because it was essentially a blank slate. I was hired to bring their idea to life, and to market.
I started by asking questions about what they had envisioned for the brand:
- What does the brand stand for?
- What are its values?
- Who are the ideal customers?
- Where do you see this being sold?
- What are the ingredients?
- How many flavours will you have at launch?
- What’s your distribution strategy?
- What’s your long-term vision of the company?
- How married were they to any of the initial concepts?
The other challenge for me was that, in my opinion, it was perhaps a little too extreme for a broad market appeal. David Goggins is a hyper-intense, ultra-endurance athlete. He makes these agressive, in-you-face, take no prisoners, videos for his YouTube channel, that may not appeal to everyone. For me, the name ‘Last One Standing’ conjures feelings of apocalyptic, fallout shelter vibes. What they perceived as a relentless determination and refusal to quit mentality, I was concerned that it might intimidate or alienate some potential customers.
The Solution
I really liked some elements of their initial concept, others, not so much. I like the earth tones and thought we could work with that. I also liked the functional ingredients, which catered to a health-conscious consumer. I just wanted to tone down the intensity a bit to create a broader appeal. I suggested that we retain some of the elements of the initial concept, but shift it ever so slightly. After several rounds, we landed on ‘Ever Beverage Co’.
I created a new logo, added some trees to the packaging, and rewrote their mission statement. Instead of ‘Fuel for Humanity’, it now read, ‘Hydration for Humanity’. I developed a website and created a section called, ‘Our Ethos’. The concept was now all about getting outside, being active, and enjoying earth.
👉 Take me to Ever’s Website: https://www.hydrationforhumanity.com/
Note: The following mockups are concepts only and are not intended to represent actual brand collaborations or endorsements. They are purely for creative purposes to showcase package design abilities.
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👉 Building a Brand Series: Ever
I suggested we lean into this ‘enjoy earth’ angle and have a philanthropic component to the brand. Ever is committed to donating a portion of profits to causes that support: people, pets, and the planet.
I created a comprehensive ‘Careers’ page to highlight what the company values and culture will look like, again using this opportunity to highlight our brand ethos. Ever is all about, ‘People Over Profits’.
This new-found brand identity and brand story is baked into the DNA of the brand. This helps us align with out target consumer and partners, while being the driving force behind our social media and content strategy, as well future product line expansion.
