ABE™ Energy RTD

Software’s: Illustrator, Blender 3D, and Photoshop

Packaging Redesign for U.S. Market Expansion

Role: Creative Director / Lead Designer

Goal:
Modernize ABE Energy Drink’s packaging to resonate with a U.S. audience while maintaining the brand’s bold identity. The refresh needed to incorporate a new brand logo, reflect current market trends, and support an expanding flavor portfolio through licensing collaborations.

Challenge:
ABE’s legacy design is a fully blacked-out, 11.2 oz slim can and was highly recognized in the UK but presented limitations for U.S. consumers. The U.S. market favors more vibrant and informative designs, especially for functional beverages. The challenge was twofold: (1) bring in color and flavor cues without compromising the brand’s intense, high-performance identity, and (2) work within the constrained space of a smaller label to deliver visual clarity and shelf impact.

Scope of Work:

  • Led the complete packaging refresh for ABE Energy Drinks with an emphasis on the U.S. launch strategy.

  • Developed multiple design concepts that balanced ABE’s established black-dominant look with vibrant visual cues to distinguish licensed and core flavors.

  • Integrated the new ABE logo and ensured all design assets aligned with the brand’s core identity and values.

  • Introduced flavor-specific icons on the top band of the can, a strategic move that enhanced shelf recognition and flavor navigation for consumers.

  • Closely collaborated with the UK-based Head of Design to iterate and finalize designs that honored ABE’s heritage while making the product more competitive in international markets.

Outcome:
The final design effectively bridged legacy branding with modern appeal, establishing a clear visual language that supports future flavor licensing opportunities. The new look stands out on U.S. shelves, communicates flavor at a glance, and positions ABE as a serious player in the functional beverage space globally.

PACKAGING DESIGN

ABE™ Energy’s Original Look

ABE’s original design featured a bold, all-black aesthetic with minimal use of color—typically a colored outline around the logo lock-up and a subtle brand pattern printed directly onto the can. This stripped-back look emphasized intensity and performance, aligning with the product’s hardcore positioning. The printed pattern added a tactile, premium touch while reinforcing brand identity without relying on loud graphics or traditional flavor cues.

The Baddy

UFC Lightweight fighter, Paddy “The Baddy” Pimblett holding his *NEW LOOK* signature flavor “Baddy Berry”.

CONCEPT DESIGN

This is an archive of the many iterations explored when making ABE’s new look.

Software’s used: Blender 3D, Adobe Illustrator, Substance Painter

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