Big Island Booch is Hawaii’s biggest and best kombucha company. They utilize their own proprietary kombucha recipe and a product line inspired largely by local flavors.

Rebrand

In late 2016 the owners of Big Island Booch approached me to create a new, refined look for their product that would solve their unique problem.

While there were several other kombucha companies on the Island, after their first few years Big Island Booch was already starting to stand out in the local crowd by the sheer quality of the beverage. They were beginning to grow out of just the local market clientele and into some wholesale account in local grocery stores.

Their main problems to solve at the start were 1) being accepted by the grocery stores in having a professional looking product and 2) competing in sales with the imported big kombucha brands (such as GT’s Synergy and Health-Ade).

Big Island Booch did not aspire to compete with the top brands in the country; they sought only to be the top brand across Hawaii. At the time however they had not made it off of the Big Island to any of the other Hawaiian island.

Logo

The logo was inspired by the art piece that Big Island Booch was previously using as their logo.

Company owners were completely open about the rebrand and what imagery to draw from. I however loved the concept of their original art, with the jellyfish-type creature to represent the ‘mother’ scoby organism of which kombucha is created. And unlike other kombucha companies, I liked how they had an edgier theme to their look versus the healthy or spiritual imagery from which most kombucha companies try to fit.

Where the design shifted was to give a more professional overall look and to focus on symmetry, as well as a mandala appearance that radiates outward. I drew a graphical reinterpretation of the mother, and made a bubbly, elemental organism exchange mandala to fill their request. The owners loved it, and we implemented it as soon as possible, and have been refining and evolving the branding ever since.

Packaging

At the same time of releasing the new brand look, Big Island Booch also unveiled a USDA Organic certification and a sleek custom glass bottle.

Label

First label, 2017

We updated the labels a year after release after some market feedback. The big changes were to simplify and fortify the linework, make the title and flavor read better, and give more color pop and differentiation between flavors.

Bottle 6-Pack

In late 2018 we designed the Big Island Booch Super Ginger Turmeric Tonic 6-pack box for sale in Costco with the main objective of standing out as a Hawaiian product as well as to outsell the other kombucha 6-packs in the store at the time, GT’s Synergy and Brew Dr.

Cans

In mid 2020 we designed the Big Island Booch Kombucha cans.

Can 6-Pack

In late Summer 2022 we designed the Big Island Booch Kombucha can 6-pack for sale in Costco Wholesale.

Results

We redesigned the look of the Big Island Booch branding and product line in the start of 2017, simultaneous to the unveil of a new bottle and organic certification. This resulted in the company doubling and then tripling their business in around a year from rebrand.

They have gone from a small batch kombucha company brewing their drinks in a small storefront and selling at local farmers markets, to having a full commercial warehouse production facility, a bar/restaurant, and wholesale accounts with the biggest grocery stores across the Hawaiian islands, including all Hawaii Costco stores, Whole Foods, Safeway, ABC Stores, KTA, and just about everywhere an array of beverages can be found.