Colony Creates Hard Kombucha Branding Inspired by Los Angeles

“Hard Kombucha, with a soft touch” is the brand promise Jiant enlisted Colony to bring to life. From the start, they were keenly focused on ingredients and experience, having developed a clean product that was light and refreshing but didn’t sacrifice taste. Our objective was to develop a brand identity and packaging system that clearly and quickly communicated these attributes while keeping the brand lighthearted yet authentic to their mission.

Our first stage in strategy was developing a plan that positioned Jiant in the “better-for-you” alcohol category. Jiant’s lower calorie/low sugar approach and commitment to sourcing the highest-quality organic ingredients already made it a logical alternative to other alcoholic beverages on the market and would benefit from consumers’ affinity for kombucha and desire for more transparency. At the same time, the brand needed to break away from the “wanderlust” stereotype surrounding other kombucha and wellness brands.

Jiant is based out of Los Angeles, CA and its vibrant neighborhoods, such as Venice, were a leading touchpoint throughout the design process. The soft color palette we used brought a level of friendliness and approachability to the product, evoking a West Coast sensibility. We highlighted Jiant’s flavor profiles by bringing illustrations to the forefront of the packaging design.

The recognizable forms of ingredients like ginger root were reduced down to simple, almost childlike shapes, our goal to keep the design accessible and stripped away from pretense. Another component of our work on Jiant’s brand was creating a “mascot” that would be discretely featured on secondary packaging, point of sale material, and other collateral. Our clients had the idea for a giraffe after being inspired by what the gentle giants represent. Giraffes symbolize achievement: with their long necks, they can obtain what might normally be out of reach. Despite their staggering size, giraffes are approachable and friendly. We ran with the idea, realizing the giraffe was a perfect metaphor for the brand ethos: serious about the product, playful about everything else."