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Designers: PepsiCo Design & Innovation, PepsiCo., New York, New York, USA
Client: PepsiCo., New York, New York, USA

There is so much talk about disrupting categories. Well, with Driftwell, we didn’t just disrupt a category. We created a whole new one. This functional canned beverage helps folks who are hyperconnected unplug and unwind for the day. We launched this elegant, enhanced water beverage into the rapidly growing products designed to address R&R to the wide approval of millions — expressed by the collective sigh across America. With its thoughtful design and gentle, scientifically proven ingredients, Driftwell is in a category of its own.

The insights leading into this project were clear. We’re more connected than ever. Time has become one of the scarcest resources. As soon as we unplug from work, we plug into our phone. At the cost of our ability to release stress and relax in the evening. But the data keeps coming in. From doctors. Scientists. The biotrackers on our wrists. Stress has become an epidemic. So, where can people turn? Existing R&R products have traditionally been very heavy handed and they can seem scary to consumers. What if there was an alternative? We decided to enter the market from the lens of relaxation. Driftwell is the gateway to a larger conversation about how we let go of the day when we are at its end. Once we developed a formula with scientifically proven ingredients and soothing flavors our challenge became communicating this all to the stressed-out masses.

Driftwell is the first of its kind. A truly differentiated product entering the fragmented market of products that do not always help with relaxation. We developed a brand with a visual language that reinforced our purpose. Still water, still mind. The color palette is dark, with rich blues that reference evening hues — the colors of dusk. Yellow accents bring to life a minimal representation of the moon. Just like the famous painting, Starry Night, there’s a complexity to the darkness with subtle gradients and soft curves. Every design decision was made with relaxation in mind. The packaging is a gateway into a new evening ritual.

The great thing about doing something that’s never been done before is that the product itself is new news. Week one we saw ~7 billion in earned media impressions. At the end of the day there were 528 total articles and broadcast segments about Driftwell. People loved the idea. Overwhelmingly positive sentiment across media outlets was our proof. And most of it was a standalone feature. What that all means is we got the Big Game level awareness. We take our brand role of relaxation seriously as the world has let us know they need and want it now more than ever.