Alivaria + PG Branding = Dark Side Kvass. Dark Side — new kvass, that was created to expand the current “Alivarski kvass” product line and to refute the idea that kvass is boring, old-style and that it can’t be a competitor to CSD. Input data. The kvass category in the non-alcoholic beverages market ranks third. This category is quite traditional, in demand with an audience of 25-50 years old. Almost all producers use the same visual images that are typical for kvass: bread, wheat, traditions, village. At the same time, the СSD category continues to be the leader in the non-alcoholic beverages market, attracting a younger audience of 16-25 years old that prefer Coke and Pepsi drinks.

Thus, the agency task was to develop a trademark that will switch CSD consumers to kvass. PG Branding aimed to develop a product that would draw attention by fresh and breathtaking design, that will be just as natural as other Alivarian kvass, despite the absence of classic natural design patterns (bread, ripe wheat, well, fields, haystacks and rustic romance).

Strategy: Our product is a dark variety of kvass. This is the number two product among all varieties of kvass, but dark kvass specifically was not presented in the line of the Alivarian kvasses. The strategic department made a research of the tastes and preferences of the youth audience. It led us to the idea that the developing concept should be stylistically closer to the CSD than to the classic kvass drinks.

Concept: At the heart of communication and design we have an idea that the Dark Side is not just “another kvass”, it is the opposite of everything that came before (in the kvass segment). And this kvass begins to gather followers, urging them to join the dark side. But our dark side is not bad, not evil, not aggressive. This side is just the other side, a portal to the unknown, mirror with a gateway to something new, a space rocket to the dark side of the moon.

The design concept supports rebellious positioning and naming. The black color of the label and the transparent bottle make Dark Side kvass modern and understandable for the carbonated drink audience, because they see an attractive label and a deep dark color that resembles their favorite CSD. The logo is based on lettering in a grunge manner. The main emotional accent in the design is the refractive ray, which symbolizes the process of changing the angle of view and allows you to look in a new way at familiar things, to highlight the other side, to spot your best from the darkness.

On each bottle or can we showed various consumption situations that are relevant to consumers, and the secrets of making that very black kvass and refreshing cocktails, based on the Dark Side kvass. Communication. In order to present the new kvass to the target audience, we need an idea of promotion in a bold and understandable style for our consumer. In the case of “Dark Side” kvass, we built communication on playful words, light absurd humor and understandable associations built on the consonance of the names of historical personalities and heroes of mass culture. Our first heroes: Darksider and Joanne of Darkside. “The power of the Dark Side” — our slogan and motto, the cherry on the top. The result is a holistic branding at all levels, significantly different from competitors, close to young consumers and not too extravagant, which allowed maintaining an indirect connection with the head brand.