When you are the most trusted, and best, online head shop—like 420 Science—you have an image to uphold. You need a visual brand that reinforces that reputation.
420 Science understands brand power, and in early 2018 decided some of their in-house products were in need of a brand refresh. Over the years they had launched their proprietary products at different times. Each was introduced with a carefully crafted brand, however this spaced-out process resulted in a company-wide approach that lacked unity. As they looked to the future, they wanted their 420 Science brand and its namesake products to have consistency and be more noticeable and recognizable.
While they typically handle the graphics and branding in house, they knew an outside perspective would bring value to the process. They called upon our team at High Road to help them breathe new life into the packaging of their popular Rez Block and 420 Wipes as well as Wax Wallet and 420 Jars. This creative collaboration also provided the perfect opportunity to create a graphic standard for any future product launches.
We started by collecting all of the existing assets, so we could evaluate the brand as a whole. This allowed us to determine what design direction would support the rebrand of several products today as well as provide a road map to support future product development. During the evaluation process it was determined that a logo refresh would reset the stage for the entire product line. Many aspects of the original 420 Science logo remained intact, but High Road choose to introduce an updated typeface that would serve as an anchor point across the new brand identity system. The original brand color palette also was left as-is, but new color palettes were developed for the sub-brands that complement and flatter the original color scheme, creating a unified family of branded products.
420 Science refreshes their brand identity
As the team looked at Rez Block, 420 Wipes, Wax Wallet and 420 Jars, a family of icons was developed for each product. A relevant geometric shape was conceived to represent the product attributes and then repeated and grouped together to form the overall icon.
For example, Rez Block is represented by a drop shape and six small droplets create the overall icon. A palette of pink and red tones, similar to the actual product color, brings the drop to life. The team then used the shape to create an overall graphic pattern that can be expressed in a gray ghosted palette or in full color.
420 Wipes uses a trapezoid as the fundamental building block but arranges them into a pinwheel configuration to express a wiping action. A blue palette offers a subtle reference to water and cleanliness.
A yellow palette supports the Wax Wallet packaging, representing the concentrate products that the wallet is meant to hold, while the 420 Jars brand capitalizes on the color green to connect its identity both to the parent brand and the flower products typically seen within the Jars. While each product category has a distinctly shaped icon, they are united in a manner that creates a sense of familiarity between them.
Rez Block and 420 Wipes are nearly a decade old and while they are still strong sellers, there is increased competition in the market. The brand refresh was a way to give the product a more modern presence and make the packaging jump off the shelf to stand out from the competition.
The new direction provides a sense of consistency for the brand and reinforces a core brand attribute of 420 Science—reliability. Whether online or on dispensary shelves, the new look differentiates the 420 Science products. The new graphic standards provide the building blocks to successfully introduce future products into the 420 Science family—a cohesive vision for 2020 and beyond.
Whether you’re an online headshop or a brick-and-mortar dispensary, a professional brand identity is a must-have asset in your daily life. Keeping your brand top-of-mind and relevant in today’s rapidly changing retail world is a constant battle that must be fought. A solid brand strategy and a useful collection of brand assets, including logos, typefaces, color palettes, and signature brand patterns, can help you win that fight every single day. Contact us to learn more about our brand strategy, identity creation, and graphic design services. Start taking the High Road today!
