Homemade “Smell-Good”
Our studio undertook the rebranding of Balcos Bay Rum, an organic, small-batch aftershave handcrafted in Bellevue, Idaho, to transform its rustic origins into a bold, premium identity that honors its homemade authenticity while commanding shelf presence among luxury grooming essentials. The objective was to craft a visual language that felt unapologetically hand-made; rooted in Idaho’s rugged terrain and the founder’s garage-distillery ethos, yet sophisticated enough to appeal to a national audience of modern gentlemen seeking heritage with edge. Drawing from the brand’s core values of transparency, potency, and place, we aimed to create a design system that smelled as good on the outside as the product does on the skin.
The challenge lay in elevating a product once sold at local barbershops and farmers’ markets without erasing its soul. We designed a striking monogram logo in a custom blackletter style; bold, red-filled letters with white and black outlines, evoking vintage apothecary signage but sharpened for contemporary impact. The color palette centers on deep burgundy, crisp white, and warm amber, pulled directly from the liquid and its glass vessel, while secondary accents of aged brass nod to the copper stills used in production. Typography pairs the ornate logo with clean, handwritten script details, like batch dates and the playful tagline “Put on some Smell Good!”, ensuring every touchpoint feels personal, limited, and alive. This system was applied across amber glass bottles, textured labels, and marble-backed retail displays, creating a tactile, story-driven experience.
The rebrand launched Balcos Bay Rum from regional obscurity into specialty stores and direct-to-consumer success, with packaging frequently praised for making the product “impossible to ignore.” The new identity positions the brand as the rebellious heir to classic bay rum tradition, handmade in Idaho, bottled with attitude, and built to last. This project showcases our studio’s expertise in distilling hyper-local craft into nationally resonant brands with precision, personality, and zero pretense.
