Sipster — Beverage Brand Identity Design for an Italian Soft Drink Range
This beverage brand identity design project started with a simple brief. An Italian summer drink manufacturer wanted a unique, character-driven identity. Their target was young people across Italy during the summer season. So we got to work building something fun, fresh, and shelf-ready from day one.
The Brief
Sipster is a new Italian soft drink brand. They came to us with a clear goal — connect with a young crowd and stand out on the shelf. However, they did not want anything complex or heavy. Instead, they wanted something simple, full of character, and instantly likeable. That brief shaped every decision we made.
Playful Text-based Logo
First, we focused on the logo. We designed a text-based wordmark with round, bubbly letterforms that feel fluid and young. Moreover, the typography works on its own without any extra graphic support. It looks great on a cup, a billboard, or a social post. Alongside the logo, we also created the tagline — “Thirst has a new style” — to give the brand a sharp, punchy voice that speaks directly to a young Italian audience.
Mascot Character Design
Next, we tackled the character. To bring the young energy brief to life, we created a kawaii-inspired mascot — a cheeky face with expressive eyes and a wide grin that sits directly on the cup. Rather than a product label, the mascot feels like a friend. As a result, Sipster carries an emotional personality that a purely typographic identity simply cannot deliver.
Furthermore, each of the eight drink variants gets its own mascot expression and colour. The eight flavours are Cherry Lemonade, Coffee Latte, Cold Tea, Lemonade, Milky Brew, Frappuccino, Lime Lemonade, and Cold Brew. Same character, different mood per flavour. Therefore, the range feels like a family while each variant still holds its own identity on the shelf.
Colour System and Packaging
After completing the mascot, we built the colour system. We gave each variant a flavour-matched colour across the 250 ml cup format. At shelf distance, the full lineup reads as a fun, energetic family. Up close, the mascot expression, wordmark, and flavour name reward attention. In addition, we tested every colour decision directly against the physical cup shape to make sure everything worked in the real world.
What We Delivered
In summary, this beverage brand identity design covered the full scope — from brief to final assets. Specifically, we delivered brand naming, a playful text-based logo, a mascot character, a colour system across eight variants, and complete cup packaging. Because everything was built as one system, Sipster launched looking like an established brand from day one.
If you are building a drink brand, view Our other Branding Projects here to see how we work from brief to delivery.
For further reading on character-led beverage packaging, The Dieline is one of the best references in the industry.
