Refreshing an icon to keep its edge

Leading V Energy's brand evolution and packaging refresh: a bold, unified design system built to strengthen its market-leading position across Australasia.

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Role: Design Lead
Agency: Redcactus Design
ECD: Chris Chong

V Energy, a market-leading energy drink across Australasia, wanted to modernise its brand while holding on to the distinctive assets that made it instantly recognisable. In a fast-moving, trend-led category, the iconic “V” needed to become bolder and more ownable: to stand out on crowded shelves, strengthen brand equity, and win with longtime drinkers and a younger, style-conscious audience.

The core problems to solve:

• Modernising the visual language while protecting the equity and recognition the brand was built on
• Unifying packaging across SKUs and formats for consistent shelf impact
• Retaining the custom typeface while sharpening layout and hierarchy for clarity
• Refreshing the look for existing fans and a new generation alike
• Balancing the category's high-impact visual codes with V's own playful personality

MY ROLE
I led the brand evolution and packaging refresh, owning the design system and its rollout across the portfolio:

• Set the system architecture through amplifying the iconic “V” as the focal point while balancing modernisation against hard-won brand equity
• Led design development, iteration, and rollout across all SKUs and formats, managing timelines and stakeholder feedback to deliver at scale
• Partnered with client teams and suppliers to validate concepts through consumer testing and keep the work aligned to the strategic brand goals
• Delivered the cohesive, high-impact packaging system end to end across the full range

PROCESS
The strategic anchor was simple: make the “V” the brand's focal point, and make it work across every SKU and format without weakening recognition. Rather than treating it as a static logo, the “V” became the basis for a radiating pattern, a device that signals energy and movement, and reads instantly in a category built on high-impact codes. Just as important was knowing what to leave alone: working with the client and through consumer testing, the existing hierarchy and core assets were retained to protect recognition, then the system around them was rebuilt to be scalable and cohesive.

OUTCOME
The refresh rolled out across 70+ SKUs, creating a striking, cohesive on-shelf presence. By amplifying the iconic “V” and tightening brand blocking, V Energy reinforced its category leadership and its identity as a bold, high-energy powerhouse across Australasia.

The system was also built to scale. Since the rebrand, the brand has carried it into new product development, applying the refreshed identity and the "V" device to products beyond the original range. That the system stretched this far, with the original background graphic phased out as the brand grew, is a measure of how flexible and ownable the foundation proved to be.