The bu

The Bu was founded in 2011 by Gary Hawes, a biochemist surfer living in Hawaii. Hawes started drinking kombucha to help him recover from his intense workouts, but was turned off by the heavy, vinegary taste that each brand offered. So Hawes retreated to his garage and applied his scientific knowledge, determined to develop a great kombucha that was healthy and delicious. From his garage in Hawaii, The Bu Kombucha was born. We helped the team tuck into what makes The Bu unique, building a vibrant identity system that's part surfing, part science and allllll good.

  • The brand has a cool story and none of it came through in any of the identity. We emphasized the the uniquely smooth quality of the kombucha and brought it through the whole business.

  • Along with the packaging we were asked to take a look at simplifying and enhancing the online shopping experience for the brand.

We extended the new packaging system to probiotic water which leveraged slightly less color to communicate less flavor and more refreshment.