Gluten-free, sugar-free, dairy-free, fun-free, free-free… It’s all healthy this and deliciously that at the moment. So what’s a new drinks brand to do to get heard above all the noise, when the cold-pressed brigade are doing a healthier-than-thou thing and even the big sugary drinks brands are singing about joy, happiness, health and ‘choice’?

Elderbrook Drinks was set up by two former Innocent Drinks employees who spotted a nice gap in the fridge. Water’s fine and all that, but what about when you want a bit more taste but not tonnes of refined sugar? Pour yourself some Elderbook, who’ll send you their cordials by post.

We worked on their brand with designers & SMITH. And we consciously jumped off the health food bandwagon. Touted as a ‘better-for-you-cordial’, Elderbrook doesn’t pretend to be full of your five-a-day, turn you into a yogi in one sip, or give you Popeye’s muscles. But it does taste good and it is better for you than most spoonfuls-of-processed-sugar soft drinks. It’s ‘the not squash’.

The brand we created calls out the overclaims of big sugary soft drinks and squash, and gently mocks the latest health fads. So the tone is deliberately straight-talking. You won’t find lots of health claims or ‘aren’t we kerazee’ banter here. And we banned the word ‘superfood’ from the start. Meanwhile, the design is bold and showcases the work of up-and-coming illustrators in a whip-smart, grown-up way.

Just don’t call it squash, OK?

elderbrookdrinks.co.uk