Upstream

Design: Robot Food
Project Type: Produced, Commercial Work
Client: Clearly Drinks
Location: Leeds, UK
Packaging Contents: Flavoured Sparkling Water
Packaging Substrate / Materials: Aluminium can

Clearly Drinks appointed brand design agency Robot Food to create a refreshingly different brand for a flavoured sparkling water that’s heading in a new direction.

Clearly Drinks came to Robot Food with a new offering: a premium, flavoured sparkling water with an affordable price tag. In a booming category, the drinks manufacturer aimed to set their offering apart with complex flavours at a refreshing price point. Robot Food were asked to come up with a brand positioning, name, tone of voice and brand identity that could elevate everyday moments.

Simon Forster, founder and ECD at Robot Food said: “We wanted to position Upstream as aspirational but accessible to everyone. Premium doesn’t have to come with a price tag so the aim was to show how these drinks can bring a little sparkle to anyone, anytime, inviting people into the escapism of a taste that can transport you somewhere else.”

Robot Food developed a spirited personality, creating a laidback attitude to quench consumers thirst for a lighter take on premium. The team focused on elevating moments and defining time for a refreshing pause in someone’s day.

Martin Widdowfield, Creative Director at Robot Food, describes the illustrations that began in the form of hand-drawn sketches: “Contained within a distinctive U-shape the illustrations serve as a window into another world. Each landscape is intriguing and descriptive of the flavours within, promising a moment of serenity and calm – a little respite from busy daily life.”

Ed Woolner Commercial Director at Clearly Drinks said, “Historically we’ve been a manufacturing business developing our own flavoured water brand Perfectly Clear; supplying other brands and supporting retailers with their own label ranges. Upstream is a game changer for us as it moves the business into a new sector of the flavoured water category and strengthens our branded offer to consumers and the trade. Everyone loves the designs which are opening doors with retail and out of home customers who we’ve not been able to work with before.”

Upstream has launched with a splash across the UK, find it on retailer shelves and in restaurants, cafes and delis now.