In the neverending saga of healthy, prebiotic beverages, many brands try to gain footing with consumers by leveling up their design. Better-for-you iced tea brand Halfday has unveiled a brand refresh courtesy of Earthling Studio to preserve its playful tone and character while improving its shelf presence. 

What’s more, the brand has announced a limited-edition “Half & Half” (lemonade plus iced tea) flavor just in time for summer.

“In a category of stagnant established brands, overly worthy offerings, or wacky alternatives, Halfday aims to claim its spot as the definitive premium iced tea for a new era,” said Tom Bruce, managing partner for Earthling Studio. “Standing for more than its product attributes, it owns a moment and delivers a feeling—the spirit of escapism. The new design cleaned up the aesthetics and is easy to navigate, effortlessly cool, and something consumers will be proud to include as part of their repertoire.”

Earthling reworked the logo, using a more modern typeface that adds refinement to the packaging. Halfday’s new logo goes across the top of cans instead of vertically aligned, and the drop shadow is gone. Underneath, “New Era Iced Tea” strongly signals the brand’s intent, while the updated color palette makes the cans more visually appealing. New illustrations of ingredients on cans have a vintage tinge and are more prominent on the front of the can labels. The 5 grams of sugar callout now resides in a pointy shape instead of the less dramatic oval.

One of the goals of Halfday’s refresh is to add appeal to a slightly older audience. The update has a retro vibe that’s not an outright throwback but something modern with a vintage twinkle in its eye. Still, the studio cites iced tea branding of the 90s as a touchstone.

“Halfday aims to be accessible to any age, but the consumer sweet spot is 25-44, health-curious, and finding themselves in a busier life stage than ever,” says Bruce. “Making better-for-you choices has become less black and white and more of a balancing act, but they still crave the great-tasting iced teas they grew up with.”

As the market for gut-friendly, better-for-you soft drinks becomes more competitive, it makes sense for a brand like Halfday to refresh its brand identity and packaging to stand out in a crowded space. Halfday likely saw room for the segment to grow among consumers older than the hip, young kids drinking prebiotic sodas like Olipop and Poppi. And let’s face it, if you’re over 24 years old, you’re probably more in need of gut-healthy beverages anyway.