JOI
DON’T HAVE A COW, BUT WE HELPED INTRODUCE THE WORLD TO AN ENTIRELY NEW WAY OF MAKING AND CONSUMING PLANT-BASED MILK. THANKS TO SOME OUT-OF-THE-CARTON CREATIVE THINKING, THE LAUNCH MADE A SERIOUS SPLASH IN SATURATED MARKETPLACE.
Services
Brand Voice & Identity, Branded Language System, Taglines, Web Copy, Packaging Copy
The Backstory
This might sound nuts, but most almond milks have barely any almonds in them. Not JOI’s almond milk, though. Their innovative product is a 100% almond nut base that you simply add water to in order to, ahem, ‘milk these nuts.’ Not only is this product better for you, it’s better tasting, too. Oh and it’s remarkably sustainable (each tub of JOI saves ~8 cartons from going to landfills), or as we branded, “mouthfuls not landfills.” So, this project was our opportunity to help them make the big leap from B2B to B2C by positioning them as the first to get almond milk right (by using the whole nut and nothin’ but the nut)—and doing so in a way that grabbed attention and made a splash on the market. Our goal (as it always is when we launch brands) was to differentiate and delight. Using our Consumer Emotion Strategy, we got deep into JOI’s ideal audience’s psyche to create a core message that enlightened, entertained, and activated—allowing them to go on and launch several new product lines and innovations to a hungry (thirsty?), loyal consumer base.
Brand Voice & Identity
From there, we created a Brand Personality for them so that they could spread their message with boldness and simplicity—an approach (very) far removed from the cheesy or cutesy language that runs rampant among wellness brands. The Brand Personality we created for them is deeply nuanced and determines everything from when or if to use nut puns, to how edgy is too edgy, to what level of playfulness feels like the right level of playfulness. This way, all future content will be consistent, hilariously on-tone, and a fun experience for their customers. We used this personality to create web copy for their new site that educates and entertains; delivering compelling information with surprising, laugh out loud moments that stick with their consumer. Bottom line? JOI’s nut milk is so good you’ll cream your plants.
Taglines
JOI wanted a robust catalog of taglines they could use to promote their product’s many core differentiators, so we identified their top three (ease, taste, sustainability, nutrition) and crafted witty, succinct, memorable taglines to get these distinct, important messages across.
Web Copy
Of all the creative challenges we faced in launching this brand, distilling the core home page message down to one line was the most difficult. We knew convenience was not strong enough (yes, JOI is easier to make than using a nut bag and grinding your own nuts, but certainly not compared to simply purchasing store-made almond milk), we knew that sustainability had a shot, as did taste, but ultimately, the biggest driver for a consumer to make this switch would be health. So, we built the web presence around the standout, surprising nutrition component of the product. Namely, we did so with the opening hook: ‘You’ve never had almond milk before.’ By cranking the intrigue level high, and then following up with the facts about how both store-bought almond milk and traditional homemade nut milk miss critical nutrients of the nut, we cast JOI as the nutty hero in the milk game. From there we communicated the supplementary values and features all with the signature ‘offbeat without being offputting’ tone of voice we developed in our foundational phase. Every moment on the site contained entertainment value and clever delight built in—all the way down to the serving sizes and instructions for use.
Packaging Copy
We came up with a core, eye-catching phrase for the inside of their new packaging—Thanks for nuttin’!—because we knew the double entendre would be the well received wink it was intended to be. And we were right. It served as a stand-out moment in the customer journey and user experience, and it even got broadcasted in a viral tweet moment where a new consumer gave it a comical kudos.
