Subplot Design created the packaging for this new entry into the energy shots category. Happy Planet Shots are formulated to
address four specific occasions: Energy+, Immunity, Detox and Glow and contain no added sugar, no preservatives and no artificial ingredients:
“Subplot Design’s strategic role involved an extensive audit of the current shots and functional beverage category as well as liaising with Vancouver’s InQuest Consumer Insights & Planning, who conducted in-depth positioning consumer focus groups. Subplot then worked with Happy Planet to create a solid brand positioning strategy, followed by bottle and packaging design. With the vast majority of shots currently in the marketplace concentrating solely on ‘Energy’ and with a combined taste and design profile resembling a ‘toxic explosion’, Happy Planet identified a gap in the market for a healthy alternative that addressed the many other occasions in consumers’ fast-paced lives.
Research had identified opportunities to help the packaging stand out at retail and to help communicate the unique attributes of the product. On the one hand, consumers were not interested in packaging which was overly ‘natural, organic and hippie’, even though these attributes were consistent with the Happy Planet brand and the nature of the product. In fact, the Happy Planet brand itself was so strong, that its ‘halo effect’ was all the product needed to communicate ‘natural’ and still appeal to the young, active target market. At the same time, positioning and packaging that ‘tried too hard’ to be ‘hip and cool’ or overly ‘masculine and aggressive’, like other energy drinks, alienated the current Happy Planet consumer, reflected negatively on the rest of the beverage portfolio, and skewed the product to a much younger demographic than had been identified. Research pointed to a clean and modern aesthetic that
bridged the gap between ‘natural’ and ‘contemporary’. Much time and effort was spent creating a bottle that was not only unique, but also environmentally-responsible and cost-effective.
