We Launch deliver bold rebrand for premium tonic and mixer company Lixir Drinks

We Launch, an independent brand and digital agency, has unveiled a bold new identity and packaging redesign for premium tonic and mixer brand, Lixir Drinks. Working closely with the start-up’s founders across a 10-week sprint, We Launch delivered a comprehensive strategic repositioning and distinctive new suite of ownable assets which position the company’s flagship tonic product as the natural choice for a younger and more socially switched-on audience.

Founded and mixed by bartenders, Lixir already boasted a strong product offering and differentiated backstory. The challenge facing the founders was translating this into the brand. At the point of approaching We Launch, Lixir’s identity still lacked shelf stand-out, held back by a muddled on-pack hierarchy which failed to clearly communicate the brand’s core product and flavours. And, quite critically for a start-up, the original designs were extremely costly to print – adding an unnecessary expense at the very moment the company was looking to scale.

Following a comprehensive audit of the tonic and mixer category, We Launch identified a clear opportunity for Lixir to differentiate itself as a premium brand with a more informal, unexpected personality than competitors. A brand that makes good times more special. Set apart from the crowd by the fact it was founded by bartenders, Lixir had the opportunity to capitalise on a heritage forged in the fast-paced, energetic and memorable buzz of a bar.

With this in mind, We Launch re-orientated the brand around the tagline ‘Mixed By Bartenders’ which now sits front and centre across the bottle, packaging and other brand collateral. Capturing the passion and knowledge that Lixir pours into the drinks, the tagline acts as a quality seal and establishes the tonic as a standalone product – no matter the accompanying beverage.

We Launch also developed a bold new graphics system with the iconic Lixir ‘X’ at its core. As the focal point, the ‘X’ was refreshed to be more impactful, positioning it as a unique brand emblem that consumers would easily recognise whether online, in-store or across the bar. Crucially, by simplifying the on-pack designs, We Launch were able to reduce print production costs by over 25%.

A contextual awareness of where consumers would be interacting with the brand was also deeply embedded into the rebrand strategy. Unlike competitors, which lean into loftier, luxury personas, Lixir’s premium identity draws on the fact it is mixed by bartenders who can deliver the sort of ‘in the moment’ experiences millennial consumers crave.

This was echoed in the brand photography commissioned by We Launch. Working with lifestyle photographer Jack Terry and featuring a group of friends enjoying the drinks in a modern pub setting, the imagery reinforces Lixir’s mission to deliver ‘Good Times. Big Flavours. Mixed By Bartenders’.

Stuart Lang, founder and creative director of We Launch commented: “Lixir came to us with both a compelling product and story – but it just wasn’t being communicated in the right way. Working closely with Lixir’s founders in what was a very short timeframe, by traditional standards, we were able to develop the bold and distinctive rebrand the product deserved. With a new suite of ownable assets, Lixir will be able to reach its audience with a consistent identity and tone of voice, no matter where they choose to interact with the brand.”

Jordan Palmer, co-founder of Lixir added: “We Launch have really helped elevate our offering with a new contemporary identity. Our on-pack hierarchy is now much more visible, and the graphic system developed from the Lixir ‘X’ will help us be far more recognisable and consistent across our other channels.

“The team have been great to work with throughout this project and from the outset we could see they really understood our aims and competitive set. The quality of service has been exceptional, especially given all work and communication was done remotely. They’ve truly delivered on our rebrand, taking us from a product with a logo to a full brand with a distinct identity.”

The award-winning range of tonics and mixers are now stocked in bars and restaurants across the UK, including as the house mixer in Selfridges bars, as well as renowned pub estates such as City Pub Co and Mosaic Pub & Dining. In October 2020, Lixir announced a significant on-trade and off-trade distribution deal with one of the world’s largest beverage companies – Molson Coors – to launch the brand across the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.