Ever since brothers John and Ryan started brewing kombucha in their mother’s kitchen in Maliganant’s Cove, Nova Scotia, they’ve trusted their gut. That was 2016 and, after sharing the product with friends and family they started selling it at local Farmer’s Market in nearby Halifax. Within 6 months, they took their mission to promote gut health to pitch, produce, and package Cove Kombucha for a larger market. Now they are in over 1,000 stores across Canada, soon coming to the U.S., and launching a new product line, Cove Soda.

But, the story is still being written. With a shifting and crowded retail space and a desire to elevate the brand to a more premium position, they turned to creative design agency, Chase Design Group, to refresh the visual identity and give them a package design that would enhance the brand’s story and drive differentiation. 

“What we found during our initial research was that the visualization of taste was severely under–leveraged within a category which favored more apothecary or minimal graphic treatments,” says Steve Dunphy, Executive Creative Director, Chase Design Group. “The flavor story was also a huge competitive advantage that needed to be touted on the packaging.”

A recent switch from a generic glass bottle to a slender aluminum can provided an opportunity to craft a vertically stacked Cove logo that boldly stands out on the generous vertical proportions of the can. The new logo pays homage to the original quirky, hand-hewn style. The flavor story is communicated through playful fruit illustrations layered on top of a vibrant and refreshing color palette. To help educate consumers, a communication corridor at the bottom of the can quickly and easily calls out all of the gut healthy benefits of kombucha.

The redesign successfully plays off the brother’s passion for creating a better tasting kombucha and inspired the design team to push well beyond the limits of the category. “We wanted their personalities to be tangible when people encountered the brand so we designed custom illustrations of them that are featured within a storytelling panel found on the club store multi-pack,” adds Dunphy. 

“I had the opportunity to work closely with the Chase Design Group team to redefine what Cove means and where we wanted to take our brand,” says Ryan Macllelan, founder & CMO, Cove Drinks. “The redesign completely nailed who we are: a fun, uplifting and positive brand that also happens to taste great.”

Six flavors, Raspberry Lemonade, Strawberry Lime, Mango Turmeric, Blueberry Pomegranate, Watermelon Guava and Pink Grapefruit are sold in mass grocers (Costco Canada) and in natural grocers (Whole Foods Market).