Creative Agency: BTL Brands
Creative Director: Stuart Lewin
Designers: Santeri Lohi, Eamon Shutton
Designer, Photographer: Darnell Buckle
Project Type: Produced, Commercial Work
Client: Bastien Bouisset
Location: London, United Kingdom
Packaging Contents: Protein Powder
Packaging Substrate / Materials: Cardboard
Printing Process: Digital

Bastien came to us with Wellness Direct, a start-up fitness and wellbeing venture based in the South of France. He wants to address the shortage of protein supplements that appeal to ‘ordinary people’ (not gym junkies) who want to take their next step in fitness and wellbeing. Driven by a belief that fitness belongs to all of us, Bastien wants to create a brand that challenges the elite nature of fitness, as well as the artificial, masculine personality of protein supplements.

Bastien talked about the company as Wellness Direct, but when he spoke about his own personal story and his mission, he instinctively split his journey so far into Chapter 1 and Chapter 2. The first chapter was opening a series of gyms near his hometown of Nîmes and the next chapter was his next step: going beyond the local gyms and expanding into nutrition and lifestyle. We noticed a parallel between Bastien and the people he is reaching out to; they are all looking to start a new chapter. At the end of the brand workshop (to kickstart the project) we told Bastien he already had a name for his new venture: Chapter 2.

We immersed ourselves in the world of protein. The industry is dominated by brands that promise to make you ‘ripped’ in record time. Big neon plastic tubs of protein cut with a cocktail of artificial sweeteners and flavours are the norm. It is highly masculine. The words and the visual language we use for Chapter 2 is a response to this intimidating world, it’s simple, clean, natural, human and accessible.

Chapter 2 was created from the belief that the health and fitness industry should be accessible to everyone; we wanted the new visual identity to bring his democratic ethos to life. Abbreviating the name to C2 helped to unify the brand and stopped the confusion that would have been caused by the name being exclusively French or English.

Chapter 2 is supplied in a standard pre-packed metal drum so we had the challenge of making it look and feel as modern, stylish and natural as possible. We carefully selected a textured matt paper for the label instead of the usual high gloss plastic film. The way a C2 drum feels in the hand is as important as its appearance, no matter how good our designs are, a shiny plastic drum would feel artificial and just wouldn’t be true to the brand.

For the colour palette we opted for muted, natural tones. Using chalky yellows, browns and greens, Chapter 2 takes on a very organic appearance, especially when compared to the synthetic colours used by the competition. Protein supplements all seem to fit into a very masculine, ‘juiced up’ box that Chapter 2 is trying to break free from.

The last challenge we had for the packaging was to communicate good taste. Drinking protein supplements is not usually a pleasant experience; bad tastes and lumpy textures are common complaints. When Bastien developed Chapter 2 he created it with the everyday person in mind; he understood that not everyone is a pro-athlete and can stomach the sickly chemical taste of sports supplements. He focused on creating clean protein shakes with good ingredients and an enjoyable taste.

What’s Unique?
Chapter 2 exists in an industry oversaturated with brands that all look and feel the same; products with superhero names and crazy long lists of benefits and features that usually end up overpromising and disappointing. The simple and uncluttered C2 logo symbolises the turning of a page, it represents progress & balance. Stripping away the heavy fonts, neon colours, and gimmicks leave you with a supplement that stands out by being its authentic self.