Project: Develop a direct-to-consumer brand with packaging and a custom e-commerce site.

Background:
In 2017, Batch Seven was looking to take an on-demand cannabis retail. They didn't yet have a brand, but were eager to get a teaser campaign going in light of the then upcoming recreational legality of cannabis. During our first few meetings, it quickly became apparent we needed to start from scratch. We hit pause on the campaign and focused on building the brand. The project included field research, partnering on brand strategy and directing a team of creatives to execute across a variety of media (logo, eCommerce website, print, packaging, photography, illustration, social). In short, concept to soft launch with all the necessary materials complete for the official launch.

Concept: Cannabis for mindfulness.

Role: Creative Director
Director of research, brand and UX design

Scope:

• Field research

• Brand strategy

• Logo

• Visual language

• Content Strategy

• E-commerce website (custom)

• Packaging

• Print marketing

Team:
Brand Strategist: Kristen Winzent
Copywriter: Jessea Hankins
Logo Designer: Steve Hamaker
Illustrator: Alex Campbell
Photographer: Monica Lo
Web Developer: Andres De Luca

Timeline: 8 months

Audience

Urban dwellers, 25-45. They’re working professionals, active, and generally healthy, environmentally conscious, and considerate of what they put into their bodies. They’re yoga practitioners and feminists. They’re holistic health fans and nature-lovers. They’re generally drawn to brands that are natural, eco-conscious, and positive—as long as it comes from a place of authenticity.

Some of them are already using cannabis as a wellness tool: to relax, stay positive, be creative, and manage their emotions. The idea of psychological benefits without relying on prescription medications is appealing to them. Others have less experience with cannabis, and associate it either with partying and intoxication, or as a medicinal intended for the very ill. 

Brand

Brand Promise
To help people savor life by sparking mindfulness, focus, contemplation, and joy.

Vision
slow down, tune in, turn on

Our time on earth yields absurd amounts of beauty, meaning, and richness when we are able to slow down and be present. This revelation isn't new and being present isn’t easy—that’s why meditation is a practice that’s thousands of years old. Cannabis isn’t new, either. And we believe this ancient plant is uniquely able to improve our modern lives.

Mission

At the heart of everything we do is the belief that taking time for oneself is essential for mental wellness and personal growth. We fiercely advocate for these times of retreat and psychic rejuvenation, and offer cannabis products specifically chosen to enhance the moments. And although they almost rhyme, we realize that “cannabis” and “mindfulness” are not words that are usually associated with each other, so we spread the message of cannabis’ venerable history as well as all the ways it makes modern life better.

Personality & Tone of Voice

• Supportive and nonjudgemental

• Inclusive and relatable

• Lighthearted and funny

Brand Manifesto
Picture a man at the symphony. The music is transcendent. Everyone is weeping. Except for the man, who can’t stop thinking about his phone, his emails, his tweets, his newsfeed. San Francisco, our home, city of contradictions: We have so many opportunities to plug into the infinite—yoga by candlelight, sunset from surfboard, and the stillness that comes with the fog. And yet it is so hard to do so. Blame digital distraction, blame a culture that treats these activities as indulgent luxuries, blame whoever coined the term “life hacking,” as though we were robots instead of human beings. The result is the same: It has never been harder to be present. And it has never been more essential to do so. We know that cannabis is the opposite of busy. Cannabis is closing all twenty browser windows. Cannabis is taking a deep breath. Cannabis, too, is heightened senses. It’s music that you’ll never forget. It’s taking a bath and feeling the water on your skin. Our souls need these little retreats. These rituals are a psychic balm. They make us better, and make us better versions of ourselves. That’s why we do what we do. By delivering cannabis—up and down these San Francisco hills, someday up and down the state—we’re helping people slow down and focus on the present. It’s small, but it’s big. A contradiction? Possibly. We are from San Francisco, after all.

Name & Brandmark

Batch
Evokes craft and the small-scale care we put into our organic farms and our artisan production methods.

Seven
For the city we call home, its seven hills and 7x7 square miles. And yeah, we’re kinda hippies, so we love that Seven is also a nod to the seven chakras, bringing to mind the richer lives we’re helping people live.

Our mark
A half-wheel, an homage to both the wheel of self-care and a wheel that epitomizes our people-powered operation. The design is also expressive of a leaf and the daily renewal of the rising sun, so that we never forget that the cannabis plant comes from the well-tended earth.

Visual Language

Colors & Typography

Photography

Simplistic and playful describe our aesthetic. Our photography concept includes unique perspective, austerity, intimacy, imperfection, and an appreciation for the natural — inspired by wabi sabi.

Illustration

Lighthearted, playful and inclusive describe our illustration style. The subject matter conveys the self-reflection, Entertainment and ethereal experiences that come with cannabis consumption.

Packaging

Subscription Box & Branded Products
Today’s California cannabis retail is not easy to navigate. Picking up your favorite products requires a drive and in San Francisco, that’s not easy, nor convenient. Batch Seven’s branded product line started with the essentials like flower and pre-rolled joints. Through research, we learned the most consumed products were also vape and edibles and that most consumers needed a dispensary that curated its brands based on quality. So, the subscription box was born.

A set of 7 boxes were created, each tailored toward a specific mood. Inside, one could find Batch Seven branded product, a selection of other quality products and give-aways like a stash jar.

E-commerce Website

Print Promotion