This document discusses the design process for a new non-alcoholic "limonada" drink launched by Staropramen in the Czech market. The design team drew inspiration from similar brewed limonadas in Germany, using natural colors, textures, and rough typography. They developed 10 concepts exploring different positions for the new product in relation to the Staropramen brand. Consumer testing found that an individual brand with Staropramen endorsement was most successful. The final design for Sládkova Limonáda had its own personality but clearly linked it to Staropramen. The product launched in 2013 to high demand that initially outstripped supply.

1. Brewed Refreshment...
naturally
Sládkova Limonáda case study

2. Cocoon Group was asked to help extend
Staropramen’s reputation for pushing the
brewing envelope by developing the identity
for their latest innovation on the Czech
Market, a non-alcoholic ‘limonada’.
This is a cold, bottled drink which is made by
brewing just like beer, but has a refreshing
sweet taste more akin to a soft drink.
Launching such a radical product in such a
typically conservative beer drinking market
presented a number of unique challenges
which led to a number of hard questions and
choices to be asked by CG designers and
the client, Molson Coors. Should this product
look more like a beer or a soft drink? Should
it be a stand-alone brand or should it be an
integral part of the Staropramen portfolio?
Getting the answers to these questions –
and hundreds more – might lead to total
launch failure.

3. Visual cues
of malt lemonade category
Transparent bottle!!!
Natural textures
and materials
(German market)
Stencil, burn
or rough
typography
Warm natural colors
The design team looked to Germany for some
inspiration. In that country the category of brewed
limonadas already has a pretty well established
language. Natural colors and textures, ‘touched-
by-hand’ design elements, and lightness and
transparency all lead to a very natural feeling which
works well with audiences in Germany and (we
hoped) – audiences here in the Czech Republic.

4. 1 Staropramen
brand extension
3 Individual brand,
more soft drink category
2 Individual brand
with Staropramen brand
endorsement,
balance between beer
and soft drink
categories
WINNER !
Most prospective
design strategy!
The next big task was to explore the distance
of this new product to the Staropramen brand.
10 concepts were developed and tested,
following 3 different brand architecture routes;
a part of the existing Staropramen portfolio, an individual brand
with various levels of Staropramen endorsement, or a stand-alone
brand with no outward connection to Staropramen.
In the end, one of the endorsement routes was the winner – taking
some elements from Staropramen’s beer designs (vertical text, S
icon on neck label) but using them in a completely new way unique
to the Sládkova Limonáda brand.

5. The final result has its own distinct personality
based on its natural credentials and unique taste.
It looks like it came fresh from the orchard or farm!
Yet it is unmistakeably a Staropramen product.

6. Outdoor sign
Table mat
Multipacks
Key visual
Parasol

7. Launched in July 2013,
Sládkova Limonáda was
so successful that Molson
Coors was unable to keep
up with initial demand.
As the launch was
so recent, hard sales
numbers have not yet
been released, but we
look forward to seeing
how well our design has
helped the brand!