Branding Case Study

Every Red Kite project kicks off with a Brand Intensive—a big-picture conversation where we unpack what makes a business tick. With Surge Gum, it was clear from the get-go: this wasn’t just about a new product. It was about shaking up an entire category.

We spoke through their goals, audience, competitors, and where they wanted to position themselves. Here’s what stood out:

• Their product works 5x faster than traditional pre-workout thanks to sublingual absorption
• Their audience wants quick, clean, effective performance without the mess or wait
• They’re not trying to be cheeky or gimmicky—they’re here to lead the charge and build a loyal community
• The competition is noisy, but also outdated. Surge is the new standard.

That clarity helped shape a brand strategy with energy, purpose, and a touch of swagger.

While the core logo came to us already in development, we used it as a launchpad to build something bigger. With its custom type and hidden lightning bolt, the wordmark feels sleek, powerful, and full of energy—just like the gum itself. It set the tone for the rest of the identity: fast, bold, no-nonsense. But for us, a logo’s never the full story. The real magic happens when everything else starts to click into place.

To take the brand further, we built a full visual system around the logo—giving Surge a toolkit that’s as flexible as it is unforgettable. Think: high-voltage colour combos (purple and red), sharp patterns, and gritty textures that amp up the intensity.

We created bespoke, high-impact imagery that breaks away from the typical stock photo look—tailored visuals that reflect the energy, edge, and personality of the Surge brand. On top of that, we crafted custom 3D product renders, allowing us to create playful, gum-infused graphics and showcase the product long before it was ready to hit shelves. These renders gave the brand a head start in marketing, launch teasers, and early stockist conversations.

Everything we built was designed to stand out, work hard, and resonate with Surge’s audience across every touchpoint.

Once the visuals were locked in, it was time to make the words pull their weight. Surge needed messaging that matched their fast-acting formula—clear, confident, and direct. We developed:

• A tone of voice that’s casual but not flippant
• Taglines that land hard: “Power in your pocket”, “Pre-workout without the prep”, “Performance on demand”
• Messaging pillars that highlight the product’s speed, simplicity, and shareability

The result? A voice that reflects the brand’s ambition, cuts through the BS, and actually connects.

With the foundations in place, we rolled out a suite of collateral to support Surge’s big launch. We knew social media would be a major channel, so we crafted a hype-building content kit—packed with post designs, launch countdowns, and promo graphics. We also created:

• Packaging design for everything from the gum wrappers to the outer pouch
• Point-of-sale displays and pitch-ready assets for gym stockists
• Launch campaign ad designs and email marketing templates

Everything was built to work together—creating a brand that’s unmistakably Surge wherever it shows up.

Surge Gum’s website is where every element of the brand comes together—bold visuals, punchy messaging, and a clean, fast user experience that reflects the product’s whole promise. This wasn’t just about looking good (though, let’s be honest—it does); it was about creating a high-converting tool that could fuel the business from launch and beyond.

The site is visually striking, mobile-optimised, and built for conversion—showcasing the full brand identity with eCommerce functionality baked in.

We also created a “coming soon” countdown page to build hype and collect leads, then launched the full site with everything Surge needed to hit the ground running.