Common Water

Agency: The Clerkenwell Brothers
Creative Directors: Faraz Aghaei & Cass Horowitz
Design Team: Alice Dobbie, James Hansell, Annie-May Buxton
Artworker: Phil Delaney
Photographer: Katie Hamilton
Account Manager: Tilly Niven
Location: UK
Project Type: Produced
Packaging Contents: Water

Launched in January 2020, Common Water® is focussed on giving people the most simple and effective method of consuming CBD as part of a healthy and balanced diet. Fresh spring water from Derbyshire is mixed with a patented water-soluble hemp extract and B Vitamins, designed to be easily and fully absorbed by the body. No sugars or flavours are added to the product, making it one of the healthiest CBD product solutions on the market. More images, animations and GIFS available for use here.

Having gone through a multitude of options to arrive at the final product, every bottle of Common Water® meets rigorously high standards and is independently lab tested for CBD content. With a pursuit for excellence running throughout the business, founders Julian and Guy knew they had to find the right branding agency that could help bring their vision for a modern CBD brand to life. They decided to approach The Clerkenwell Brothers having been impressed by the range of luxury brands they had created as well as a track record of launching new products to market.

The Clerkenwell Brothers wanted to create an iconic brand that positioned itself as a premium, grown-up alternative to existing CBD beverage brands in the market. Refraining from any obvious hemp or weed visuals, they instead focussed on the calming and functional benefits of the product, led by the brand essence of “room to breathe”. The outcome is a brand identity that is refined, restrained and acts as an antithesis to the hectic nature of modern life.

Meanwhile, sustainability was at the heart of their thinking throughout the project. The blue glass bottles are fully recyclable whilst providing UV-protection for the CBD. A single colour ink was used, sprayed directly onto the bottle to avoid the need for any plastic wrapping. Finally, the wider brand materials are all created with sustainable materials to ensure this is one of the lowest impact CBD brands on the market.

Faraz Aghaei, Creative Director at the Clerkenwell Brothers commented:
“Julian and Guy approached us with the challenge of creating something completely different to what exists in the market, and to position the brand and product as better for people and the planet.

We were conscious of the premium price point and target demographic of this product so set out to create a brand and packaging that balanced being recognisable on shelf with being discreet in hand. The name and nature of the product provided us with an opportunity to develop a logo mark that encapsulated the entire brand.”

Founders Julian and Guy spotted a gap in the market for a no-nonsense, adult CBD product that could be consumed daily. They are focused on avoiding the cliches of other CBD based brands and worked with The Clerkenwell Brothers to ensure the unique properties of this product were communicated effectively:

“Having monitored and studied the CBD market we knew that consumers were crying out for a high-quality product that could be consumed daily whilst remaining healthy. We approached The Clerkenwell Brothers with our ideas for a premium product along with our brand values focused on wellness and sustainability.

The team caught onto our flow immediately and we set them the task of creating a brand and product that would be instantly recognisable on shelf whilst reflecting the subtle and soothing properties associated with CBD. We think the results speak for themselves! The team have been fantastic to work with and we look forward to continuing our relationship whilst Common Water grows. ”

Common Water is currently available online and through specialist independent stockists, and is scheduled to hit shelves throughout the UK during the rest of 2020.