St Ida Spring Waters

St Ida Spring Waters

Naming, brand creation, and packaging design for a new spring water brand drawn from a unique Jurassic aquifer in the heart of Purbeck, Dorset, England.

The brand takes its name and inspiration from an 11th-century noblewoman who (unusually for the period) was the landowner of the historic estate in which the aquifer can be found. Ida was impressive, cultured, and progressive – a patron of the arts and passionate about the land in which she lived and its people. She symbolises a lineage that travels back into DeepTime.The waters are imbued with her spirit: Wild and pure, unchanged in millennia. From before any human walked the earth, where she then walked, where we walk today. The water is a constant. Pure before time.

The identity interprets the colours and expression of the medieval period with a blackletter-inspired logotype and filigree illustration that references medieval illuminated manuscripts and their origins in nature. The ultramarine blue and bone white palette was chosen as it represents rarity and purity in medieval art.

Although the medieval period was the inspiration point for the visual and verbal world, we wanted to reimagine these influences into something that feels clean, bold and relevant in a contemporary setting.

Contrasting finishes are used on the paper labels on the cans. The base has a tactile matt, sandpaper finish to reflect the texture of the land and the filigree detail is pulled out in a reflective silk finish to reflect flowing water.

The brand’s foundations are rooted in storytelling and in delivering a sense of place and cultural connection. Care was taken to create a brand language that was true to the period and drew a line between Ida’s narrative, the history of the aquifer and the purity of its waters. The idea is to build the brand intentionally with Ida in mind – championing the arts and storytelling, moments in nature and quiet community. Something that feels authentic and timeless, true to the water itself.