When Tish Carless gave up drinking in 2020, she quickly realised how little choice there was for people who wanted something beyond tepid imitations of alcohol or sugary soft drinks.
Soon after moving from Madrid to London, she spotted the gap – there were hardly any drinks that could sit confidently in the hands of both drinkers and non-drinkers.
Together with co-founder Tom Bowerman-Wake, Carless launched Picoso, a range of premium spicy sodas developed in Mexico and infused with carefully selected chillies.
Drunk on its own, or stirred into a cocktail, Picoso defines a category in its own right. “It blurs the lines between drinking and sobriety,” Carless says.
That challenge – carving out a category rather than fitting into one – called for an identity with the same sharpness and energy as the drink itself.
Duzi Studio’s brand for Picoso
To build that brand, Carless and Bowerman-Wake turned to London-based strategic design agency Duzi Studio. “We knew that we wanted to work with an agency that would be able to create an entire brand world instead of just a pretty logo,” says Carless.
“It’s actually quite easy to create beautiful identities,” says Ella Donald, co-founder and director of Duzi Studio. “The more difficult challenge, especially for creative agencies these days, is to deliver a genuinely purposeful brand that has a story, and represents the vision of the product.”
That vision became central to the narrative that Duzi Studio built the identity around.
This is felt in the brand language (Zesty Lime cut with Scotch Bonnet), and is translated into the illustrations and the typography, which bring much of the flavour to the identity.
The bespoke wordmark, given prime real estate on the can, features letterforms with unexpected cuts and angles that inject flair. “Its stretched form is intentional, giving Picoso both shelf presence and the stature of a premium, crafted brand,” says Donald.
A visual from a campaign shot in Mexico, capturing the vibrancy of the country where Picoso was developed
Supporting this is the Highway Gothic type family, chosen to represent the brand’s confident voice, designed originally for maximum legibility on US road signs.
“The boldness and impact of these fonts now echo Picoso’s energetic spirit and command attention,” says Donald. The sharp letterforms, especially in the Condensed cut, echo the elongation of the logo, creating a cohesive visual rhythm.
This energy is tempered by Hal Four Grotesk, which introduces neutrality, providing balance and clarity for longer text, while Mashine Rounded adds nuance and character where needed. Together, the trio creates a system that shifts easily between impact and clarity.
The wordmark’s nod to the central narrative is extended to the suite of illustrations, which draws on the tactile quality of woodblock and linocut.
The angular, jagged forms common to the techniques become a visual metaphor of the sharpness of the chilli heat that cuts through the fruity notes.
Duzi Studio’s brand for Picoso
This is reflected in the emblem of a dragon, a reinterpretation of Mayan iconography with a contemporary twist. “It was important for us that the identity captures the Mexican roots of the product, without feeling gimmicky and resorting to stereotypical Mexican visual elements,” says Carless.
The symbol, which was crafted to scale effortlessly, sits comfortably alongside the illustration of the flavour profiles that punctuate the brand world, and appear on the back of the can rather than the front.
“A lot of beverage brands put illustrations of fruits and flavours on the front of the pack, which is very helpful from a shelf perspective; it conveys a sense of deliciousness,” says Donald.
“But with Picoso, we really didn’t want to put the flavour so overtly on the front. Instead, we wanted the story to take centre stage.”
Duzi Studio’s brand for Picoso
It was also important for Duzi Studio to take visual cues from the branding of alcoholic drinks, “so that when you’re holding a Picoso in an environment where people are drinking alcohol, you don’t look like you’re drinking a soft drink,” says Donald. “This speaks to the idea of inclusiveness that’s very important to Picoso.”
The team looked at the labels of alcoholic beverages, and leaned on a clean, considered typographic layout for the front of the can, lending the product a premium, polished look.
This decision is already paying dividends. “Our sales strategy from the get-go was to target bars, restaurants, and hospitality before pushing into retail,” says Carless. “And in a lot of those spaces, we sit in the fridges behind a bar. The look of the drink is drawing attention – people are asking what it is.
“To add to that, many venues avoid serving cans because glass feels more premium, but Picoso’s design is so strong that venues are willing to serve it on tables, which helps the brand’s visibility.”
A visual from a campaign shot in Mexico, capturing the vibrancy of the country where Picoso was developed
While the branding has helped Picoso to move confidently into new spaces, Duzi Studio was careful to design beyond the launch. “When we started working on the identity, we always thought of designing a brand, not a product. It’s always a mistake when people start from the point of view of product,” says Donald.
That long-term view means the framework isn’t fixed but flexible – robust enough to anchor Picoso today, while adaptable enough to stretch into new flavours and formats tomorrow.
The visual system can be pushed, pulled, and remixed effectively, ensuring the brand has the elasticity to evolve without losing its bite.
Duzi Studio’s brand for Picoso
Duzi Studio’s brand for Picoso
Duzi Studio’s brand for Picoso
A visual from a campaign shot in Mexico, capturing the vibrancy of the country where Picoso was developed