Brand Case Study

Saperior

Take a deeper look at what went into creating the Saperior brand.

While living in Victoria, BC, I worked with the founder of Saperior Plant Products to develop and implement this brand. He was (and is) a head in the clouds entrepreneur that had the motivation of building his company up while sticking to his roots as a steward of nature.

His first product was a salve that used pine resin that he harvested himself by hand. It was extremely versatile and he found many uses for it both for skin and hair as well as for cuts and scrapes while he explored the backcountry of Vancouver Island.

This was something that I really wanted to highlight in the branding and marketing.

Branding

The Icon

The Saperior Icon was developed from the element that inspired the the brand’s creation, sap. Originally incorporated into the counter of the letterform A, the visual was extracted to be able to stand alone.

The Wordmark

The Saperior logo was developed to be a microcosm of what the brand stands for. A modified heavy title set in Input Mono to show the ruggedness of the outdoors in which the brand was concieved and its products thrive balanced with the imperfection and individuality that comes with a hand crafted product.

Product Photography

When developing the product photography, I wanted it to really reflect how the product and even the company was started. The idea came to the founder when he was camping in the backwoods of Vancouver Island, inspired by the surrounding nature and the bountifulness of pine (and its subsequent resin). These photos were taken on while on a hike off the grid through Quadra Island in British Columbia.

Lifestyle Photography

When taking lifestyle portraits, I wanted to emphasize the versatility of the product. The salve comes in a small tin that’s perfect for you to carry in your pocket every day. It will keep your skin fresh, hydrated, and protected whether you’re in the city or out backpacking the country.

I also created imagery that customers could recreate. A POV shot of my hand holding out the salve in the various environments I took it with me when I was hiking. The intention is to create content that customers can replicate and we could share their photos with our audience. All while still highlighting the versatility and convenience of the product.

Website

Working off of the Shopify Platform, it was time to implement everything I developed. For all of the copywriting, I developed a voice that would also represent the brand. A bit brash, but firm in our belief of good ingredients make good products, and our product was the best damned thing you could carry into the woods with you.

See for yourself at saperior.ca