No More Shy Sips!

Itu Chaudhuri Design (ICD) fills into a creatively pioneering project they received which sets to change the shape of alcohol. Get a defined sneak peek at the making of the Sip; an AlcoBev brand which redefines the averted reputation of alcohol consumption in India, often preceded with embarrassment and slang like tipsy; wasted, and fried.

Client - Ahead Co.

Requirements - SIP Identity and Branding

India’s relationship with alcohol is quite indulgent and the process to access it, is nothing short of an emotional rollercoaster. What desi souls treat as an expression of life - from celebratory whiskey and sophisticated champagne savoury retreat to must-have chilled beer with homies after a true desi heartbreak - is often mangled by the conventional nudge from the society we inhabit.

This societal gaze strikes female consumers in the worst way. Ironically, in girlhood culture, red wine is the epitome of a graceful ranting session with your friends as you are manoeuvring all the good times of lost love.

Sneaking out bottles in newspapers or avoiding indoor home spaces to chill with your favourite beverage flavour is an issue so underrated that it has dislodged the alcoholic consumption experience by a country mile. This censure of liquor has brought the alcoholic marketplaces to a considerate deterioration.

To overcome this dichotomy of ardent spirits, Ahead-Co has introduced the concept of the AlcoBev delivery platform, Sip.

Sip-Hero Saves the Day!

Sip unveils a safer, sensible, and guiltless space for booze bees out-there. Encouraging the ease of accessibility provided with a long list of alcoholic options; available across the country, Ahead-Co has been enthusiastic to serve the inebriant populace without the hassle of local shops' mediation.

To drop the branding ETA and get the conversation going, Ahead-Co coacts with Itu Chaudhari Design (ICD), forming the creative groundwork of Sip's brand identity.

For a nation with such a huge population of consumers of liquor, Breaking the cultural barriers around this sensitive topic and infusing a rather liberal drinking practice is not an easy task. And, to successfully carry out the creative branding of Sip for promising design output, ICD takes daunting steps in three major categories - logo, illustration, and typography.

Key Elements from the Design Inventory:

1. The Un-doing

Extracted from the design backrooms, ICD shares that one of the primary factors of Sip branding deliberation is to undo the stereotypical imagery of alcohol among commoners. The design team of ICD deconstructs the old ways of consumption by taking off the dark, cryptic silhouette and giving the Sip design an all-new light colour palette.

The goal is simple - make it un-whiskey, un-wine and un-serious! (courtesy of ICD).

This undoing process comes in handy when introducing a no-judgement, no-offense alcohol zone. The brand design of Sip tailored to allow consumers to explore, experience, and gain euphoria from their cherished beverages.

2. Caricaturing the Sipsons

the world of the digital revolution, the storytelling is the best way to communicate with your brand. For Sip, ICD ensures an inviting atmosphere for its ecstatic customers by introducing Sip's own illustrated character family - The Sip Bird (protagonist), along with a slinky cat, peppy penguin, and mischievous monkey.

These etched character designs come-together to elevate the motif of Ahead-Co.'s Sip's bigger picture. When in the frame, the Sipsons create a delectable ambience for alcohol consumers instead of the typical sneak-out designs of liquor brands.

3. The Road to Consistency

To get any delivery platform going right, getting the brand design customized, persistently across all the platforms, is a must. It is an instant shot of familiarity that keeps your customers sticking around for a long time.

With a decluttered and neatly curated Sip canvas, the design team of ICD guarantees a consistent distribution of Sips visual identity - from virtual spaces of social media campaigns, app configuration, etc. to physical macrocosm of the in-store display, delivery essentials, and packaging design.

The Design Playground

To define the Sips odyssey, ICD corkscrewed the design concept broadly in two strategic vials - The Silhouette and The Shipping Sauce.

1. The Silhouette - Leading with the non-chalant and clement core of the Sip branding, the design squad of ICD chooses deep green colour as the primary signifier while the encompassing bright pastel shades in the background give it a refreshing look.

At the center, we introduced a Bird, the main character of Sips branding tale. It placed schematically to demonstrate the funky and lightsome aspect of Sip. Moreover, Sipson's bird is animated to fit different angles with different wing positions, elevating the user interface experience.

The crew of ICD has swayed the interactive stage by inhabiting supporting characters alongside the bird-slinky cat, peppy penguin, and mischievous monkey. These characters help in the induction of storytelling by inhabiting a sense of quirkiness. The narratives projected for the storytelling guarantee to highlight the customer experience within the demand and supply realm.

The simple stimulation trick is not to overbake the bread, and that exactly what the ICD squad does with the illustration category for Sip branding. The illustrations are candidly embroidered as hand-drawn sketches with not-much fuss over detailing particulars.

2. The Shipping Sauce - In a modern countryside store style, Sip is taking over the contemporary liquor business with the air quaint, balmy, and carefree layout.

Accommodated within the typical online delivery prototype, it is unique moxie for traditional AlcoBev masses to indulge in an open and well-regulated drinking plexus.

The creative platoon at ICD leads with a simplistic tagline - Drinks of your choice, home delivered, keeping up with the Sips branding blueprint. From the final packaging design, shipments, promotional tags, and delivery uniforms to in-store launch campaigns, Sip has a diligently customized layout to fit different screen sizes and handling angles.

Time for the Toast

The concept of Sip, envisioned by Ahead-Co, is, in true sense, a breakthrough that has been anticipated secretly by sauce-up samaritans who are looking for a good-humored booze-fest without staking their safety, hygiene, and pleasure.

In a nutshell, Sip is here to re-establish the demarcated relationship between the alcoholic market and its key-consumers in India with a brand new phenomenon that would make you say, "it's on me.", unapologetically.

And ICD commits to making it happen.