A SHOC traded neon rage for California light in its Charged by Nature rebrand

Stand out in energy's second-largest beverage category by rejecting its conventions - neon cans, all-nighters, rage - for young, active, community-minded drinkers.

An energy brand built on daylight: a California-bright identity and 'Charged by Nature' for athletes who train outdoors, not rage all night.

New logo, can labels, custom type system (support fonts by Hanken.co) and a 'Charged by Nature' campaign across digital video, out-of-home, print and social, all designed around California's natural light and negative space. KDP handles national distribution.

The rebrand launched in August 2021 with Deutsch LA joining the client roster; the article reports no sales figures. It gave A SHOC a category-contrasting look and a 'fresh and vibrant' positioning for outdoor athletes.

Energy is the second-largest category in beverages, with performance energy leading growth at 269% over three years. A SHOC, a new client for Deutsch LA, saw the opportunity for a different kind of brand - one geared to young, independent, frequent energy drinkers who lead active lifestyles and belong to communities focused on fitness, wellness and other hobbies. In August 2021 it launched 'Charged by Nature', a new campaign plus a full brand identity and packaging redesign.

'Unlike other energy drink brands, we break away from stereotypical energy drink conventions, such as using an energy drink for an all-nighter or a rage,' said A SHOC chief marketing officer Taylor Whisenand, positioning the drink for 'the next generation of athletes who embrace the outdoors, train in nature, and reach their peak, fuelled by a better way to energy'.

Deutsch LA's design team, led by EVP and head of design Adhemas Batista, revised the logo and can labels with the West Coast lifestyle in mind - a look markedly different from the intense, aggressive cans on the market. The system leans on powerful light, natural colours and refreshing California vibes, with a simple hierarchy that balances negative space for a quick read, plus new typefaces designed by the same studio, Hanken.co. KDP distributes nationally.

Every rival screamed neon and intensity; approachability was unclaimed territory on the shelf.

The audience - young, active and community-driven - drinks energy for training and outdoors, not all-nighters.

California's visual language of natural light and negative space made the can readable against aggressive neighbours.

A custom type system and simple information hierarchy supported the premium, wellness-adjacent positioning.

When a category codes aggressive, the clearest differentiation is designing for the opposite moment - daylight, outdoors and calm confidence.

'Charged by Nature' rolled out across digital video, out-of-home, print, digital and social in August 2021, with Keurig Dr Pepper handling national distribution. The article notes no launch results; CMO Taylor Whisenand positioned the brand as 'a West Coast way to energy' for a generation training in nature. LBB's report gave no sales or campaign-performance figures.