Title	WATO – MAKING WAVES ON THE STORE SHELVES
Brand	WATO
Product/Service	WATO REHYDRATION DRINK
Category	E03. Food / Drink
Entrant	ESSEN INTERNATIONAL Stockholm, SWEDEN
Idea Creation	ESSEN INTERNATIONAL Stockholm, SWEDEN

Name	Company	Position
Sasha Hallin	Essen International	Cllient Director
Danny Mian	Essen International	Creative Director
Dany Mündner	Essen International	Senior Designer
Joana Mendes	Essen International	Front-end Developer

Background

In 2018 Sweden experienced a longer, hotter and sweatier summer than ever before. People spent their days beaching and sporting to an extent where stores ran out of bottled water. Hydration became a major concern. This was the seed to Wato, a one-of-a-kind product within the segment of functional drinks. The fizzy drink helps you stay hydrated, whether dancing at Midsummer solstice or simply feeling overheated. The name Wato is an abbreviation for “We Are The Ocean”. For every sold can, part of the profit goes to “The Ocean Cleanup”, an initiative helping to clean the ocean from plastic and garbage.

Describe the creative idea (40% of vote)

There are many players within the functional drinks segment, meaning differentiation is key. On top of that, Wato is a new category within its segment. While having the benefits of an energy drink, it is also sugar free, vegan, and uses all natural flavors. The key differentiator, however, is rehydration. We were brought in to create a visual identity that wouldn’t be just another drop in the ocean, but the ocean in a drop. As with other functional drinks, Wato is great for the athlete. But it’s also great for the sunbather, the car sick and the party animal. Instead of simply enhancing performance, Wato restores no matter the cause. In a segment abundant in loud visual expression, we decided to go with a cleaner solution catering a broader target group. The visual identity springing from the product’s main benefit. Rehydration.

Describe the execution (40% of vote)

The keystone of the visual identity is a graphic pattern depicting the movement of water. In the packaging design, the wavy and straight lines represent products with or without caffeine. Different flavors have their own identifying colors, without losing sight of the big blue. The typography hierarchy clearly indicates the brand and the key USP (“Rehydration”) as the main message. The prioritized product information is placed on top of the product to be seen both in stand-alone displaying, but also when stacked in its box tray. The promotional website is the packaging in a digital format, mirroring the product itself. To highlight the flavors further, the main graphics were combined with playful illustrations in friendly colors outlining the fruit it comes from. The imagery emphasizes the connection to water with clear, yet dark blue tones that brings depth to the identity.

List the results (20% of vote)

The result is high quality packaging design and an informative promotional website that differentiates Wato among competition in all relevant segments, whether it’s bottled water, supplements or energy drinks. Through the graphic assets and design choices, the identity clearly communicates the product’s main benefit and brand promise – rehydration. A visual identity making waves on the store shelves. “We are extremely happy with the result. It has taken our product to a whole new level – a lifestyle brand.” ¬Oscar Thoms, CEO at Wato.