The current time we’re living in is unpredictable and frustrating. Watching COVID-19 numbers rise and fall, it’s easy to lean into a pessimistic mindset, as it feels like we’re stuck in a cycle of taking two steps forward and three steps back. After being in the dark for two years, people are anxious, and questioning if life will ever go “back to normal.” How might we not only provide people with a bit of joy and the feeling that things are going to be okay, but also a reason to get outside and enjoy themselves?
Heyday Canned Cocktails are for the people who love adventure and variety, who are individualistic and charismatic, and for those looking to break free from their normal routine to share amazing memories with friends and loved ones. Each can is crafted to give you an adventure of flavor and personality that brings a little extra joy to your day. We’re reminding people to get outside, but if even if they can’t, a Heyday can at least bring the adventure to you by transporting your taste buds to a unique landscape and to your next escapade.
Art Direction, Branding, Packaging, Layout, Content Strategy, Advertising
10 Weeks | Jan 2022 - Mar 2022
3 - Theo Truong, Athena Sfikas
User Research, Market Research, Moodboards
InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator, Procreate
Our process began with researching what our target users look for when they buy alcoholic drinks. Through user interviews and survey results, we also gained insights on how people's drinking habits have changed during the pandemic, and what they're looking forward to as the world starts to open back up. In addition to user research, we also conducted marketing research by compiling an audit of popular canned cocktails and hard seltzers. From here, we narrowed in on some key things to guide our brand direction, and created a set of personas based on our user research.
Three observations based on market trends and a survey of our target audience:
People are missing bar & restaurant atmospheres that allow them to enjoy craft drinks & socialize safely.
People are antsy for adventure, sans the fears of COVID exposure, which points toward more outdoor activities (and taking drinks to-go).
People are gravitating toward drinks that expose them to new flavor combinations, and are especially drawn to fruit flavors.
Heydays are meant to embody adventure and optimism. We knew we wanted to transport people with our flavors and design, so right away we were inspired by minimal landscapes, bright colors, and playful illustrations. We gravitated toward fonts that have rounded letterforms and soft edges, and that are friendly and approachable in feel. At this point, we knew we wanted to craft an incredibly approachable, bright, and whimsical brand.
Aside from applying our brand direction to packaging for all flavor variations of the cans and 4-packs, we also created a landing page and social media to promote the brand and foster a relationship with consumers. We also created a series of animated social media advertisements to promote each flavor, along with the concept for a pop-up, and a series of merchandise. Once determining our key brand elements, illustration style, and core goals as a brand, designing across several medias came easily and we were able to keep a cohesive visual brand.
Heyday's slogan is "Raise your Spirits, Seize the Day," because the brand is built on offering consumers a taste of adventure, and a bit of extra joy in their days. Each flavor has its own feel and personality, depicted through the visual design of each can.
To advertise Heydays and connect with potential consumers, a social media campaign was created that features animations of each can in their corresponding environment. The campaign further highlights the idea of each can variation having a unique flavor profile and personality, and emphasizes our brand's playfulness, whimsy, and fun.
Because Heydays are meant to be experienced together, we created a concept to facilitate connection through a “Heyday Experience” pop-up.
The pop-up would involve a brand story wall, interactive “Which Drink are You” quiz, live music, branded selfie wall, fruity tables that correlate with Heyday’s cocktail flavors, branded merchandise, and of course, a bar & tasting area. The intention is to provide people with an unforgettable experience so they form a connection with our brand that will encourage them to pick up a case of Heydays to enhance their next adventure.
The goal of Heyday Canned Cocktails was to create a brand that provides consumers with a boost of optimism and a reason to "seize the day." Heydays embody adventure and uplift consumers through the bright palette, soft typography, whimsical illustrations, and playful, positive brand voice and social media presence.
