Silly but serious: Smack Bang brings new probiotics brand Giddy Citizen to joyous life

Founded in 2011, Smack Bang is a Sydney-based agency that's carved out a niche for itself in the brand building space. Its work is typically bright, colourful and upbeat, and its identity for Giddy Citizen fits right into that mould.

Giddy Citizen is a lifestyle brand with proud Australian roots, creating feel-good products for everyday people within the wellness space. Its products are described as "powered by probiotics: super-charged, clean and cultured".

The company came to Smack Bang with a brief to parlay this purpose into a powerhouse brand. The project's scope covered all aspects of branding, including brand strategy, name development, web design, packaging, art direction, photography, copywriting, marketing collateral and merchandise.

"We set out to encapsulate the very essence of Giddy Citizen's playful nature whilst highlighting their authority in the modern wellness space," explains creative director Tess Robinson, who worked on the project with art directors Katie Shepherd and Scott Wrightson, illustrator Aley Wild, photographer Lucy Alcorn, animator The Funktion and designer Imogen Frost.

Central to the branding is a custom-illustrated hero character Tess describes as "a unique, eye-catching mascot with an infectious spirit."

The name, meanwhile, was chosen to convey an elated, giddy feeling of joy. "The word 'giddy' evokes a visceral feeling of bubbly, pop and glee – alluding to the product sensation itself – while 'citizen' cements this feeling as a collective, shared experience," says Tess. "Combined, Giddy Citizen promotes happy people partaking in the party of a healthy life, together."

A bold wordmark, meanwhile, evokes the punch of flavour found in Giddy Citizen products, with a soft edge that feels friendly and inviting, and a series of taglines such as "Radically delicious, surprisingly healthy" pull everything together nicely.

"The result is a thoughtfully considered brand identity elevating a unique brand voice in the wellness space that feels as comforting as it does exciting... delivering serious results in the silliest way," says Tess. "We presented an actionable and user-friendly strategy with a tone of warmth and inclusivity at every touchpoint, assuring customers their needs are not only understood but positioned at the heart of the Giddy Citizen offering."

Health food products are typically popular with older people, who tend to have more health issues. So it's perhaps surprising that the designs were specifically crafted to attract a Generation Z audience. Tess explains: "Gen Z consumers have a purchasing power range of $29 to $143 billion and care about the nutritional value of their food. Giddy Citizen provides the perfect alternative for Gen Z audiences who want to prioritise their health and wellness.

"It's estimated that probiotic beverages will achieve over $77 billion in sales by 2025, almost double the revenue generated worldwide in 2018," she continues. "We know consumers want to champion their health and have fun while doing it, and Giddy Citizen supplies the goods to do just that."

All in all, this branding may seem silly and frivolous at first glance, but there's been real thought put into its development, and the final product speaks for itself. In doing so, it continues Smack Bang's strong track record of crafting world-class identities, including beauty brands Urban Jungle and Habitual Beauty, Minerals brand Inner Atlas, and digital magazine Gritty Pretty.