Poppi Rebranding Makes Health-Conscious Soda More Accessible

I wanted to share a story of how a brand with a unique product made it a little more fun and accessible with a full rebranding and packaging redesign. 

Poppi is a line of prebiotic sodas, which come in cans spanning all kinds of fruity and citrusy flavors. The bright colors and fun fonts used throughout the can’s design are immediately eye-catching, but before we dive into the packaging, we need a little bit of background on Poppi. 

So, how exactly can a soda be healthy? Well, Poppi’s answer has been to infuse its beverages with apple cider vinegar, which has long been highly regarded for its gut health attributes. But, how to market a drink based on apple cider vinegar? That’s where the rebrand comes in. 

When Poppi first launched, the brand was called Mother, a nod to the cloudy substance found in apple cider vinegar. At the time, the drink was sold in glass bottles and promoted the vinegary component of the beverage. Clearly, the health benefits and appeal of the drink was evident, as founders Allison and Stephen Ellsworth took the brand to Shark Tank securing an investment. 

Now, to the redesign. Due to trademarking issues with the word Mother, the company pivoted to a more engaging brand name, and transitioned to the more portable aluminum can, with colorful eye-catching shrink sleeves. Now, Poppi has positioned itself as a more energetic beverage, great for on the go consumption. 

Additionally, the brand has downplayed the apple cider vinegar component of the drink, giving it equal real estate to additional claims of healthy prebiotics and immune system boosting aspects.  

Poppi has undoubtedly hit the market at the right time. In the January/February issue of Packaging Impressions, I spoke with Taylor Getler, of Works Design Group about the growing trend of functional beverages, which can be defined as drinks that do a little more than just quench our thirst. Examples that have popped up in the past year include drinks with relaxation properties, energy boosting components, or Poppi’s case, added health benefits. 

Communicating those functional properties via packaging is going to be important to stand out in the crowded beverage space, and by making its packaging both fun and informative, Poppi has done a great job. 

This video originally appeared on Packaging Impressions. If you’ve seen an innovative package, contact Cory Francer at cfrancer@napco.com.