Shakti
Reframing an ancient ritual for modern life.
Location
Global
Sector
Brand Identity, Health & Leisure
What we did
Brand strategy, brand identity, art direction, packaging, illustration and brand book.
Shakti is a brand of leading acupressure products. When Shakti came to Shed, their brand was confused, lacking both a strategic foundation and a coherent visual expression. Shed worked with the founder and global stakeholders across multiple markets to unite them under one new brand that enabled growth.
Shakti had been working with the same in-house branding for nearly 2 decades. With little to separate it from copycats, the brand had become disparate and dated. Shakti’s founder is based in India and the rest of the stakeholders are divided across 6 continents, so for the rebrand to be successful Shed needed to re-unite a fragmented team and modernise the brand to appeal to a new, wider audience of wellness curious.
Acupressure is a wellness practice that stems back thousands of years, originating in India. Our strategic concept of "Indian Enlightenment" celebrates Shakti’s origins, where the product is made and the women who make it, whilst educating a new audience on how acupressure can alleviate issues derived from modern living.
The rebrand celebrates Shakti’s unorthodox approach that pain leads to feeling good, and leans in to the quirkiness of Shakti’s products through a playful, vibrant and energetic verbal and visual language. The rebrand united the Shakti team and, at the same time, generated an increase in sales, social media following and uptake of new products.
THE LOGO
The Shakti logo is a symbol of renewal. The combination of the spikes and half sun represent a new dawn and the beginning of a wellbeing journey. Generated from an ink stamp, the logo mimics the notion of applied pressure, a feature of acupressure itself.
In a sector populated with mandalas, it was important to create a unique ownable symbol and word marque rooted in Indian origin and reflective of the products most distinctive feature - the spike.
CORE ASSETS
The brand’s colour palette draws reference from the rich culture of India. Hero photography plays with light and shadow to create natural, sensitive and evocative imagery. Nostalgic textured imagery and illustrations act as a support to storytelling.
Shakti’s visual language comprises a vibrant colour palette, spiky image masks inspired by the product, illustrations and two tiers of photography. One that showcases a personal acupressure practice and a supporting style that communicates Shakti’s Indian roots.
Tone of voice
The verbal language is compelling yet playful. It leans into the quirkiness of laying on spikes and communicates the main benefits of acupressure. Headlines are delivered through a bold, modern typestyle that’s both full of personality and direct.
Shakti aims to inspire and educate. The quirky and irreverent tone of voice allows the brand to talk about the benefits of acupressure without making any bold scientific claims.
SHAKTI’S IMPACT STORY
Shakti’s impact story is represented at multiple touch points and the artisanal craft of Shakti’s products are portrayed through the use of natural materials, handmade textures and poetic story-telling.
Shakti use a full-female workforce in their production line. The Shakti Rising programme provides private education for the daughters of their crafts-women.