Today, consumers can finally get acquainted with the unique products of the Mexican brand Bawi, the development of which was launched in 2020. After two years, the Agua Frescas-inspired sparkling water brand launched its first offerings in an original and attractive design. The distinctive look and convenient, multi-colored packaging, designed by The Working Assembly, NY, is a welcome addition to the unique taste variety of sparkling water. Two students created the recipe for this product, Victor Guardiola from Monterrey, Mexico, and Jordan Hicks from Austin, TX, who met at the University of Texas at Austin. The new product results from a practical course at an educational institution, the task of which was to create carbonated water with low sugar content and the taste characteristics of traditional Agua Frescas fruit-based drinks. During the development process, the founders improved their recipe and prepared a line of ready-made drinks from three main flavors – pineapple, lime, and passion fruit- for the launch this year.
The identity of the created new brand was built on the reflection of Mexican roots, modern and bold style. The typography was created using hand-drawn technology, including the voluminous vernacular that commonly appears in the names and advertisements of local food and fruit stands. It is also particularly active in Mexican street art. Colorful packaging and non-standard style of illustrations have become a reflection of the traditional Mexican card game -Lotería. It dates back to the twenties of the last century; whose visual design of the cards was done in a vintage watercolor style. An innovative idea was the simultaneous use of several visualization languages to ensure readability not only by consumers in the country of origin. Native Spanish and general English were used here. This duality on the packaging hints at the deep intersection of Mexican-American and Tex-Mex cultures.
To create a uniquely appealing visual identity, the new logo reflects the fun customization of each letter of the wordmark. They all have a lot of personalities, reminiscent of the vernacular inscriptions used in Mexican “wall advertising.” They are also widely used in signs and names of food stalls and shops, menus, and decorations of small Mexican catering establishments. The letters are distinguished by flared serifs, strong sharpening, and curvature of the lower part. The horizontal strokes of the letters “B” and “A” set stimulating upward movements. The text modules and the wordmark were shaped using a family of original fonts – a sprawling, sans-serif, cheerful Steradian, and Shackleton – especially effective in the logo itself.