This scented bottle is like Smell-O-Vision for water. Its rebrand is just as fun

When you think of water branding , it likely conjures up images of blue or clear bottles, along with quaint nature scenes and babbling brooks that evoke straight-from-the-source purity and freshness. But scented water bottle Air Up (yes, scented), went in the opposite direction for its rebrand by Mother Design London, playing up the fun that’s inherent in the food-and-beverage-product equivalent of Smell-O-Vision. [Image: Melissa Schriek/Mother Design] Air Up’s rebrand is bold and bright. Mother London implemented color-on-color custom type in pinks, blues, and greens. It also slightly tweaked the logo to place “air” and “up” next to each other rather than the stacked design used in the logo’s previous iteration. Many of the brand images are slightly surreal: In one, a motion graphic of the bottle floats over a blurry, abstract background; in another, a model stands on a ladder and pours water from a hose into an Air Up bottle on another model’s head. No nature scenes in sight. [Image: Melissa Schriek/Mother Design] The bottle concept itself is a unique offering in a competitive market of flavored waters, seltzers, and nonalcoholic beverage options. The bottle uses scented pods to trick your brain into thinking plain water is flavored, rather than using flavored water (thus, the company says, making it sugar- and additive-free). The bottle’s novel product design is carried through its branding: The font, Air Up Sans, mixes capital consonants with lower-case vowels to spell out copy like “WaTeR. NoW MoRe THaN WeT,” and “GYM TiMe. MoJiTo TiMe. SaMe TiMe.” [Image: Melissa Schriek/Mother Design] “The new Air Up brand identity is a celebration of the interplay between the responsibilities of adulthood and the boundless freedom of our inner child,” Mother Design creative director Harry Edmonds said in a statement. “By blending bold, expressive elements with a touch of whimsy, we’ve created a vibrant and engaging experience that speaks to both sides of our audience.” [Image: Melissa Schriek/Mother Design] This quirky, colorful rebrand for the bottle is part of an emerging trend to brand water with design that’s more lively and engaging than your standard refillable Nalgene variety or plastic Arrowhead and Deer Park offerings. [Image: Melissa Schriek/Mother Design] Mio, for example, a Kraft Heinz-owned flavored liquid drop pack, recently rolled out a rebrand that transformed its dull packaging with full-on fruit punch colors and a friendly sans-serif logo. And canned water brands like Not Beer, Liquid Death , and Natural Spirit have taken the unusual route of packaging H2O like it’s a vice , with cans that look like beer brands or Marlboro Reds, respectively. This isn’t your father’s functional, straight-from-the-tap water; it’s water as lifestyle. “We want to strengthen our positioning as a lifestyle brand that promotes healthy habits without compromising pleasure; that turns ordinary moments into exciting ones,” Air Up co-founder Lena Jüngst tells Fast Company . [Image: Melissa Schriek/Mother Design] The trend toward more engaging water brands is a perhaps unsurprising development considering indicators like the rise of Stanley cups and water’s top place as the largest beverage category in the U.S., according to data from the International Bottled Water Association . With so much competition, of course brands need to find ways to stand out. “A distinctive and memorable brand identity helps us stand out in a highly competitive beverage and water bottle market,” Jüngst says. “Today’s consumers seek brands that resonate with their lifestyle and values, and our rebrand aligns Air Up with these evolving expectations.” But Air Up’s refreshed look isn’t merely an attempt to keep up with trends; it communicates something about the bottle’s unique product design. Don’t expect to see a deer and mountain stream on a scented water bottle. A novel concept calls for novel branding.