U.K. rugby icon Jonny Wilkinson CBE (Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) has launched his own brand of kombucha, N°1 Kombucha, with Pearlfisher London bringing the brand to life. After a spectacular career playing at top-level performance, Jonny Wilkinson’s focus is now on overall wellbeing in mind and body, and he is an advocate of the benefits of living foods to help achieve this. Linked to numerous health benefits and full of live cultures, N°1 Kombucha is a sparkling, fermented drink that is said to naturally nurture and enrich from the core.
Pearlfisher was tasked with building a powerful new brand that brings a fresh perspective to healthy living, starting with a high-quality kombucha—with the potential to extend beyond—but always with a meaningful connection to Jonny.
Says Yael Alaton, Chief Strategy Officer, for Pearlfisher, “This project was all about bringing the benefits of living foods to everyone on an everyday level. Jonny’s universal appeal was essential to positioning the brand as an iconic leader in kombucha—a category that is currently fragmented and relatively unknown but growing fast. The iconic idea at the heart of the brand is about celebrating life and encouraging consumers to embrace a healthy lifestyle.”
Explains Pearlfisher Senior Designer Jess Phillips, “The logo mark, displayed on the bottleneck, is purposely simple and bold. Abstract, free-flowing lines, painted by Jonny himself, are perfectly imperfect to imbue a sense of living energy and are set against a vibrant color palette that indicates each flavor variant. Threaded through the hand-painted lines is a straight and consistent line—the flavor line—representing the taste and nutritional benefits of drinking N°1 Kombucha.”
N°1 Kombucha comes in three flavors: Ginger & Turmeric, Raspberry, Pomegranate & Hibiscus, and Passion Fruit & Goji Berry.
Says Wilkinson, “Being part of the design process has allowed me to express the depth of my passion for N°1 Kombucha and to share what it is setting out to achieve through its visual communication. The finished design captures my own energy and the active nature of the product and its life-affirming benefits. It is a powerful and very symbolic way of challenging both this category—and the wellness category overall.”
N°1 Kombucha launched in U.K.’s Sainsbury’s stores in May 2018, with a recommended retail price of £1.95, or $2.50, per bottle.
