ROLE
Lead Designer
TOOLS
Photoshop, Illustrator, Figma
MEDIUM
Digital, Print
STATUS
On Spec
YEAR
2024
PROJECT GOAL
Provide Red Bull's Peach flavor energy drink a newer, fresher identity while increasing sales through a redesign.
PROJECT OVERVIEW
Red Bull is an iconic brand, synonymous with extreme sports and its dominant presence in the energy drink industry. With a powerful message and global reach, it has shaped a massive empire. However, one flavor within this lineup has consistently underperformed in sales.
PROBLEM STATEMENT
The current packaging and presentation of Red Bull's peach flavor fail to create a strong sensory connection to the flavor, diminishing its impact on the consumer experience. Additionally, a lack of targeted marketing has resulted in this flavor becoming one of the lowest-selling options, despite its popularity as a flavor
POTENTIAL SOLUTION
This project seeks to enhance the visual and sensory connection to the peach flavor, while strategically targeting an underrepresented demographic: women aged 18-33. The solution includes a can redesign, digital and physical campaign posters, and a mobile and desktop site revamp, all aligning with the refreshed branding.
The Current Design (and it's problems)
To understand why this flavor is underperforming, it's essential to deconstruct what elements are failing to enhance the appeal of this drink.
Here are the 3 major issues with the current can design.
Disconnect In Design & Messaging
Red Bull’s core message of energy and strength should be consistently reflected in its product design. While red is a bold color, the chosen shade lacks the intensity needed to evoke the same powerful emotion. This results in the can’s design conveying a more subdued and passive impression.
Shelf
Memorability
While special edition cans should feature unique packaging, it’s crucial to maintain elements that make them easily identifiable as Red Bull products. This design strays too far from the iconic look, making it less recognizable on shelves and contributing to diminished sales.
Poor Flavor
Profiling
Color plays a vital role in conveying qualities that are hard to express through words. The current can design fails to visually represent its flavor profile, and the absence of colors typically associated with peach further diminishes its appeal to consumers.
Marketing Research
With a clear understanding of why the current design lacks direction, I conducted research into Red Bull’s demographics and marketing strategies to better tailor the redesign for increased sales. By identifying and focusing on a target audience, we can develop a design that resonates more effectively with that demographic.
Target Demographic: Women aged 18-35.
33%
Female Consumer Base
Roughly a third of all sales come from a female audience. While this group may not represent the majority, Red Bull should actively work to sustain and grow this demographic by designing products that better appeal to women.
59%
Product Loyalty
Studies show that women are more likely to remain loyal to a satisfying product. Since Red Bull’s business model relies heavily on customer loyalty, building and expanding a strong female consumer base will be essential for maintaining consistently high sales.
Final Deliverables
.png)
Design Process
With the redesign, here are three things I wanted to keep in mind in the design solution.
Color Psychology - Orange
By using color psychology, we can narrow down the palette to a soft peach-orange. This not only makes the flavor profile more apparent, but orange, which is associated with energy, aligns perfectly with the brand's messaging.
The Original Can
Recolor the original can. Red Bull's memorability stems more from the design than the colors themselves. This approach addresses both recognition and flavor profiling simultaneously.
Use Peach Elements
The most important step is using images of the fruit associated with the flavor. This will visually connect the flavor to the design and reinforce it for consumers.
The Can.
The current design lacks Red Bull’s bold identity and iconic look. This redesign reinforces brand recognition with new packaging, using orange—an energetic color tied to peach—that balances flavor appeal and visibility, resonating with women aged 18-33.
1
Flavor Profiling.
The current can design lacks a sensory connection to the peach flavor. Adding peach images with water splashes will evoke freshness and directly link the visuals to the flavor, enhancing both appeal and refreshment.
2
Final Details.
The current can design lacks a sensory connection to the peach flavor. Adding peach images with water splashes will evoke freshness and directly link the visuals to the flavor, enhancing both appeal and refreshment.
4
Slogan Sequence.
Red Bull's iconic slogan "Gives You Wings" is a key focus, repeated four times to create emphasis. At the top, the slogan appears three times, and as the viewer’s eye moves down the page, both the priority of information and the slogan's opacity shift, ending boldly at the bottom for lasting impact.
3
Learnings
Through this project, I realized the importance of extending research beyond technical design principles. While applying design principles is crucial for creating successful designs, it’s equally important to remember that the audience engaging with your work are not designers. This underscores the need to communicate the message and intent of a design in a way that is easily understood, without relying on the rationale behind the principles.
This insight led me to explore additional fields such as marketing, sales, and advertising. These areas not only guided the design direction but also proved essential in achieving the goals of this redesign. Ultimately, this experience taught me that interdisciplinary research is vital for crafting impactful and successful designs.
