Introduction
This project is a rebranding of GuoLiCheng (Minute Maid Pulpy), a fruit beverage known for its real fruit pulp and strong presence in the Chinese market. I worked through analyzing the brand’s current visual identity, messaging, and positioning, and explored how it connects with its target audience. I found it interesting that while the product emphasizes freshness and real ingredients, its existing design does not fully communicate that message. This became the starting point for my redesign. Overall, this project focuses on rethinking how visual identity and branding can better reflect a product’s core idea and create a stronger connection with its audience.
I got this big idea of "every sip feels like home". This idea is rooted in the shared experiences of my generation in China, for whom GuoLiCheng was a familiar part of everyday life. The drink commonly appeared at family dinners, school events, and in moments that once felt ordinary but have since become meaningful in memory. As this generation grows older and transitions into more independent lives—such as attending university or living abroad—revisiting this familiar taste evokes more than simple refreshment; it reconnects individuals with a shared cultural memory. the rebrand aims to reconnect consumers with a sense of comfort and belonging, transforming memory into an emotional connection.
Brand Overview
Rebranding Process
New logo+Packaing Design
Social Videos
Left Social Video:
This video connects to the core idea of “Every sip feels like home.” As we move into new stages of life, returning home becomes less frequent due to increasing responsibilities. However, the act of drinking GuoLiCheng evokes memories of childhood—family gatherings, shared meals, and the warmth of relationships with parents and friends. The video aims to translate this emotional connection into a visual narrative.
Middle Social Video:
This video focuses on the product itself by illustrating the process behind GuoLiCheng. It highlights how the beverage is made, reinforcing ideas of freshness, authenticity, and real ingredients.
Right Social Video:
This video draws inspiration from a personal childhood memory. It references a moment in elementary school in China, when a teacher was initially frustrated as we weren't listening, became noticeably calmer after drinking a beverage. This scene is reinterpreted in the video to convey how GuoLiCheng can shift mood as"it can help you feel the fruity taste of love".
Summary
Through research, I analyzed the brand’s visual identity, history, and target audience, and conducted a comparison with its competitors to better identify areas for improvement.
Tools Used
The rebranded logo adopts a more playful and energetic tone, better reflecting the identity of an orange-based beverage. By incorporating an orange element into one of the characters, the design becomes more visually engaging and directly communicates the product. The simplified composition also improves clarity and visual hierarchy, making the logo more legible across different applications. This refinement enhances brand recognition while creating a more cohesive and contemporary visual identity.
Through this rebranding project, I developed a stronger understanding of brand strategy and the role of a “nostalgia” in shaping a cohesive visual and storytelling direction. By constructing my own big idea, I learned how to connect emotional narratives—such as childhood memories—with design decisions to create a more meaningful brand experience. I also explored using AI tools to produce video content, expanding my technical and creative workflow.
One of the most challenging aspects of this project was developing the big idea itself, as it required translating personal reflections on GuoLiCheng’s presence in childhood into a concept that could guide the entire rebrand. Additionally, creating AI-generated videos proved to be difficult, as communicating specific visual outcomes through prompts was often unclear and inconsistent. Designing the logo and advertising concepts also required multiple iterations, as I struggled to achieve a visually satisfying and cohesive result.
To address these challenges, I relied on analyzing the brand’s identity and positioning to guide my redesign decisions, helping shift the visual direction toward a more energetic and contemporary feel. For the AI video production, I refined my communication by experimenting with multiple prompts and iterating extensively until achieving closer results to my intended vision. For the advertising concepts, I developed different approaches aligned with the brand story, including a process-based narrative and a more abstract concept to create a stronger impression on the audience.
If I were to revisit this project, I would aim to produce higher-quality AI-generated videos with more precise control over visual output, as well as further refine the logo and packaging design to elevate the brand’s overall quality and positioning. Moving forward, I would explore positioning the product toward a more premium market, ensuring that the visual identity better reflects a higher-end and more polished brand image. This experience reinforced the importance of iteration, clear communication—especially when working with AI—and maintaining a strong connection between concept and execution.
I used Adobe Illustrator to create my logo, Adobe Photoshop to make the packaging. Adobe Firefly to make the merges and the AI videos, sound tracks, and sound effects. finally using Adobe Express to edit the videos.