SodaStream SOURCE

Sodastream came to fuseproject with a successful core business, bringing reliable, well-reviewed home soda machines to the masses. But as a brand they were having a challenge appealing to a more sophisticated, design-oriented influencer audience. The challenge was to design a more premium home soda experience to expand brand reach and appeal.

After a thorough look at the current offering, insights from consumers, and a thorough audit of competitive experiences, the goal was to elevate and simplify. The design strategy identified key leverage points, such as premium materials, visual simplicity, approachable minimalism, and a more elevated, sophisticated approach to branding and communications.

The Source strategy has raised awareness of the Sodastream brand and category among influencer audiences. It has also yielded a more premium brand perception, and new retail channel opportunities.

The design of SOURCE was a process of elimination. Starting with the larger volume, we chiseled off the functional areas and sculpted transitions. The resulting form is the quality we focused on for the design of the SodaStream SOURCE. Visual clarity with a single monolithic shape and a carved-out area into which the new bottle finds a home is the new visual signature. There is no need to screw a bottle in the SOURCE, instead a single-handed push locks it in place. The entire top surface responds to touch to carbonate, and interactive feedback is shown with back-lit LEDs to differentiate between different levels of carbonation. The SOURCE requires no electricity, but achieves its great feel through refined mechanical ingenuity.

Alongside the launch of SOURCE, we took the opportunity to refresh the SodaStream identity. The logo was inspired by the clean lines and modern form of the new SOURCE machine. Transitioning from a bubbly typeface to a refined clean wordmark helped to reinforce the sophistication and modernity of the emerging brand. Pairing the elegant, lowercase type with the bold, strong uppercase type balances SodaStream SOURCE and allows for a direct reflection of the product expression.

We believe that the experience should not just be with the product, but also with the packaging. Beautiful and sustainable, the SOURCE packaging is made from recyclable materials and soy inks. The entire brand expression is represented in a refined and simplified design aesthetic that allows for the most elevated out-of-box experience in home soda makers today. In addition to the product packaging we also developed a line of compostable soda pods.

SodaStream SOURCE was the first product aimed at the design and mass-market appeal. Featuring a new technology, monolithic design and building upon the sustainability platform, SOURCE launched at Milan during Saloni di Mobile with Soda Bar specifically to reach this new audience. Soda Bar highlighted the sophistication of the design and the simplicity of the materials. A raw to refined aesthetic composed of raw cardboard and wood surfaces, with an oversized chandelier composed of 550 bottles to represent the amount of average saving per year by using SOURCE. With Soda Bar, we created the overall experience design, identity, messaging, custom drinks (courtesy of our in-house mixologist/design director). We created an environment where people could experience the product, stay and enjoy a beverage and bring SodaStream into their home. We also had Soda Bar in additional design fairs in New York, London, Tokyo, Stockholm and Tel Aviv.