case study: 21ROCS
21Rocs Beverage Rebrand Case Study: 3.2× Shelf Velocity
How we repositioned a ready-to-drink wine cocktail brand for premium shelf placement — and tripled velocity in test markets within 90 days.
The ChallengE
21Rocs had a great product trapped in a generic package. Their ready-to-drink wine cocktails tasted better than competitors at 2-3× the price, but on a crowded shelf — wedged between hard seltzers, canned wines, and pre-mixed spirits — they were invisible. Retail buyers at Whole Foods and Total Wine had passed twice. The brand needed to look like it earned its premium price tag before anyone tasted it.
The Strategic InsighT
The RTD beverage category had collapsed into visual sameness: pastel gradients, sans-serif logos, fruit illustrations. Every brand was screaming "fun." 21Rocs's actual differentiator wasn't fun — it was craft. Real wine. Real bartender-grade cocktail formulations. Adult sophistication in an aluminum can.
The brand needed to look more like a premium spirit than a hard seltzer. So we built it that way.
The SolutioN
We rebuilt the visual system around three principles: photographic realism, vertical typography, and category contradiction.
Each flavor got hyper-detailed product photography — visible condensation, fresh garnish, the actual cocktail it was inspired by. The "21ROCS" wordmark was rebuilt as a vertical stamp, taking shelf inches competitors couldn't. We added an "Ultra Premium" descriptor with quiet confidence rather than loud claims. And we pushed every secondary brand element (Jamaican Punch, Moscow Mule, Strawberry Margarita) to read like flavor titles, not labels.
The result felt closer to a Casamigos lineup than a White Claw competitor.
The OUTCOME
3.2× shelf velocity in 100 pilot 7-11 stores in Southern California within 90 days
Positioned to raise an additional $2mm in funding
more case studies
Clarity creates momentum
Every project is built to solve a business problem. We help companies become more recognizable, more trusted, and more valuable in the eyes of their customers.
07 HOW IT WORKS
Senior Brand Leadership. On Subscription.
