Buena Fé is the first 100% organic tequila-based cocktail-in-a-can, and is made in Jalisco, Mexico, the ‘birthplace of tequila’, where the spirit was first distilled. The drink is made with 100% Blue Weber Blanco tequila, which means that all the alcohol in Buena Fé comes from the agave plant. Unlike your short Margarita, or shortish Paloma, these ready-to-drink cocktails are longer sparkling drinks, belonging to the category known as ‘tequila quenchers’, ‘tequila soda’, or ‘ranch water’ – relatively low in ABV (3–7%), basically alcopop all grown up.

Launching in 2022, Buena Fé wanted a brand that communicated Mexican craftmanship, quality ingredients and the theme of refreshment, and so the team enlisted Saint Urbain to provide a full suite of services and develop ‘a brand identity that felt as organic as the product itself’. This work included naming, resulting in Buena Fé, a Spanish phrase that translates to ‘in good faith’, to reflect authenticity, transparency and the brand’s Mexican heritage.

The mellow wordmark combines sharp edges with curves, much like the agave plant, and is arranged in a rainbow-like arch, giving it a bouncy, fun and fancy-free optimism. It’s blue, presumably because we’re talking about the Blue Weber species. The primary typeface, called Reptile, also finds its origins in the desert, inspired by the appearance characteristics of snakes and lizards. The delicate forked serifs strike the ideal balance between elegance and merriment and are full of charm.

Meanwhile, to illustrate the different flavour combinations, Saint Urbain created assets depicting different fruits in a style that is reminiscent both of vector-based flat art and Fauvist-era silhouettes and cut-out shapes: the leaves of the pineapple, for instance, appear artfully uneven, as if they had been cut by hand with blunt scissors, while the strawberry looks more angular and less smooth – a little eccentric. On the cartons, the USDA Organic seal is proudly visible, given the importance placed on the drink’s organic credentials.

Lifestyle photography, featured on flyers, posters and socials, shows the cans and cartons in laid back, vacation style scenes: a hand holding a can in a swimming pool, another can placed on a beach towel next to a pair of sunglasses. We’re also shown a lot of agave plants, explicitly referencing the key ingredient, in case there was any doubt. Highly saturated and brightly lit, this style adds juice, youthful personality to the brand, like a buoyant pool inflatable, taking consumers on a journey to summertime sunshine and sandy toes.

The result of these elements in combination is a brand that seamlessly inserts itself into the trend of products channeling an eternal summer of the recent past – brands like Vacation Sunscreen and the resortwear apparel of Ciao Lucia, evoking a mood of nostalgia. And by borrowing elements from Buena Fé’s Mexican roots, Saint Urbain have delivered a visual identity that feels authentic, transparent and organic.