Maycreate and Double Cola Make a Big Splash in Stores with New SKI Branding!

It had been a while since the last rebranding and redesign of Double Cola’s SKI®, a unique soda with real fruit, real flavor and a kick of caffeine. The brand was recognized for its fun heritage and enjoyed a loyal following. However, there were two new generations of soda drinkers that were redefining consumer trends–Millennials and Gen Z. Together, these two groups represented some $240 billion in spending power. It was time for a new look, feel, tone, and manner that would not only appeal to this growing audience but to new distributors, while providing flexibility for product line expansion as well.

Brian May, president and senior creative director, and Rob Cherof, senior account planner and strategist, put together an extensive client presentation, which was the result of in-depth market research that began with three simple questions:  Who is our audience (both current and aspirational)?  Why and how do they shop?  And… Who can we learn from? 

They looked at buying trends, social beliefs, communication outlets, life choices, regional demographics and other competitive citrus sodas in our category. Here’s what they found out. Millennials crave authenticity and transparency. Gen Z is the most multicultural, most open minded, and most intent on making a difference. Their personality traits are rooted in terms like Selfie-Conscious, Massclusivity, Speaktivism, and Authenticitude. Ultimately, they defined this aspirational audience as Prideful Youth! We had to find a way to tap into their desire to embrace their own authenticity. That’s when Brian turned to Jen’ Rezac, our senior art director, an individual with impeccable taste, who’s passionate about outstanding design. 

SKI’s new design needed to be bold, yet subtle, with a touch of attitude. The new branding had to represent SKI’s originality, making it one-of-a-kind and separating the brand from its competitors. The design also had to be visually versatile, positioning SKI like it belonged in the category, yet stood apart from the citrus crowd. 

This undertaking entailed hundreds of hours of market research, concept and design sessions that led to many package, can, and point-of-sale prototypes before a final brand and design direction were chosen. Jen’ worked closely with Brian, Grant Little, senior art director and talented Web designer, as well as our client, when it came to finalizing this colorful new design and applying it to all aspects of packaging and in-store marketing, sales and advertising materials. “Color and finding the perfect typeface were everything,” said Jen. Below is the result of all this hard work.

Besides SKI’s new can and package design, Double Cola is also introducing a new SKI flavor called Tropical SKI. With this introduction, comes a new color and design, as well. Tropical SKI contains the original SKI formula, made with real lemon and orange juices, with a couple of additions—a new tropical mango flavor, and an exciting, new blue color.

Jessie Shumate, regional sales manager for Double Cola, said, “With the help of our dedicated distributors and retail partners, Tropical SKI will be a favorite of many!” Tropical SKI is being introduced in select markets in the Midwest and the Southeast, including Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, and Kentucky.

Maycreate is proud of this new work and the impact it will have on the new SKI audience. Brian May said, “This work not only represents many hours of creative thought and application, but demonstrates the power and effectiveness of a well-executed marketing strategy.”