Agua Bonita – Dillon Ivory

Beyond the Cultural Aisle

Agua Bonita was built on the idea that aguas frescas deserved a place beyond the cultural aisle. Rooted in Mexican traditions and family recipes, the brand set out to bring a fresh perspective to the beverage industry with a better-for-you beverage that celebrated culture without being defined by a category.

Joining as the company's first employee and growing into Head of Creative, I helped shape the brand's visual identity and creative direction across packaging, digital, photography, campaigns, and retail. The focus was on building a cohesive brand experience that could evolve alongside the business, from its direct-to-consumer beginnings to national retail distribution.

Building a System

The vibrant patterns on Agua Bonita's cans became the foundation of our visual language. We built the surrounding design system to complement the artwork rather than compete with it. On the cans, we positioned the typography vertically to maximize its size and shelf visibility while allowing the patterns to remain a focal point.

Every Side Has a Story

With both retail and direct-to-consumer distribution in mind, we developed a modular packaging system that could adapt to different requirements without compromising the brand's visual identity. From how the product was presented on shelves and pallets to how it arrived at someone's doorstep, every format had to balance functionality, consistency, and the consumer experience.

Creating a Digital Experience

With social media driving much of our traffic, the website needed to turn curiosity into conversion. We focused on creating an intuitive shopping experience that introduced the brand quickly, showcased different use cases through cocktail, product, and lifestyle imagery, and kept the path to purchase simple.

The goal was to bring Agua Bonita's personality into a digital environment without sacrificing usability. From the homepage to checkout, every interaction was designed to feel engaging, approachable, and easy to navigate.

Lifestyle First Approach

We moved away from traditional e-commerce product shots, bringing a lifestyle feel to even our primary product imagery.

Social Proof Built-in

We brought press features and social content into the shopping experience to build credibility and introduce new visitors to the brand.

First Impressions Matter

With much of our traffic coming from social media, we used motion on the homepage to capture attention and give visitors a reason to explore.

Good Things Get Noticed

As Agua Bonita grew, so did its visibility. That momentum opened the door to an opportunity tied to Eva Longoria's Flamin Hot, bringing the brand into a much bigger cultural conversation.

For the collaboration proposal, we turned up the heat on Agua Bonita's Watermelon Chile flavor, exploring limited-edition packaging, event collateral, and PR kits that brought the two worlds together.

From Growing Brand to National Shelves

As Agua Bonita expanded from direct-to-consumer into national retail, the brand's creative ecosystem grew alongside it. What started as a digital-first experience evolved into a cohesive presence across packaging, campaigns, photography, and retail, helping support the brand's expansion into approximately 2,000 retail doors.

The result was a recognizable brand experience that could connect with consumers across different environments while staying true to the culture and personality that made Agua Bonita stand out in the first place.

5x

Retail Growth in 2023

2,000

Doors Nationwide

211%

YoY Revenue Growth