Robot Food balances nature and science for CBD brand Healist Advanced Naturals

Since restrictions on the use of cannabidiol (the non-intoxicating component of cannabis) were lifted in Europe and North America, the CBD wellness sector has exploded. Analysts are now predicting that the global market will exceed £72 billion by 2026 – and sales of CBD-based products in the retail sector will be a major driver of that growth.

As a result, the market is becoming increasingly crowded and confused, with a proliferation of balms, oils, and tinctures in varying percentage strengths, promising to remedy any number of health concerns.

Present Life wanted to create a product line that took advantage of this sector growth, but in a way that changes the narrative around CBD products, removes confusion, demonstrates integrity, and makes the health benefits crystal clear to the consumer.

Robot Food was approached to drill down and define the opportunity, and then devise a strategic response to position Healist as a benefit-focused flagship brand with multichannel selling in mind. The resulting work has enabled Healist to cut through all the white noise. Consumers are reassured of the high-quality nature of the products, and are able to navigate the range easily to find the right variant for their needs.

A balance of science and nature

“A shift in regulations and consumer mindset have fuelled a sharp growth in the CBD category, so we needed to create a brand with unique cut-through. It was important to remove the typical barriers associated with CBD products, build trust and make it mainstream,” says Simon Forster, executive creative director and founder of Robot Food.

A key part of the strategy was to demonstrate the benefits to be found where modern science and botanical know-how meet, and show how that marriage can help consumers regain balance and ‘reclaim their 100%’.

To that end, the fusion message is evident at every touchpoint on the consumer journey. The bespoke packaging format makes a real virtue of the science and nature story and focuses on the effectiveness of the ingredients. A lab-white ‘science’ sleeve with a diecut ‘H’ is removed to reveal the ‘nature’ layer, featuring botanical illustrations that showcase active ingredients, with four colourways so consumers can quickly differentiate the four main benefits (calm, sleep, well-being, relief).

“The ‘H’ marque captures Healist’s spirit. One pillar represents science, the other nature, while a central dot joins the two and is symbolic of equilibrium,” says Steph Oglesby, design director at Robot Food.

Robot Food has created a brand world and tone of voice to support the USP and inspire trust, with messaging that includes hero statements like: “Ground-breaking science. It’s in our nature” and “Potent natural ingredients. Down to a science.”

From packaging right through to the brand communication strategy, scientific cues, including annotation lines and botanical illustrations, create a structure that reinforces the power of nature when blended with a scientific approach.

Benefit-led brand architecture

“We’ve created and launched our own brands at Robot Food, so we were able to identify the broader opportunity within the market,” says Forster. “Most CBD brands focus their approach on the percentage of CBD oil, or align to a specific lifestyle. With Healist, we placed the consumer first, creating benefit-led solutions presented in a brand architecture that bridges science and wellbeing.”

Michael Bryce, co-founder and global chief marketing officer, Healist, says: “Working with Robot Food helped us clarify and fully realise our unique market position. As an agency, the team at Robot Food always has front of mind commercial viability as well as strong, engaging design. The brand strategy can flex and grow as we do too.”

Part of an ongoing relationship with Present Life, Robot Food will continue to support Healist with digital content creation, and act as brand guardians. Launched online in March, Healist plans to break into mainstream retailers in the US, followed by the European market dependent on the changes to CBD regulations.