Creative Director · AvantGarde Brands · 2010–2013
Premium design in a category that had never seen it.
Branding
Brand Identity & Positioning
Built on a simple idea: a real cigarette, done better. The visual identity deliberately referenced the weight and familiarity of traditional cigarette packaging — structured and confident — while signalling a clear step up in quality and intent.
Branding
Brand Identity & Positioning
Built on a simple idea: a real cigarette, done better. The visual identity deliberately referenced the weight and familiarity of traditional cigarette packaging — structured and confident — while signalling a clear step up in quality and intent.
Packaging
Packaging Design & Production
The pack and cartridge system designed to communicate quality on a shelf dominated by cheap, flimsy alternatives. I sourced the physical components to spec — the packaging needed to feel genuinely satisfying to open and use every time.
Campaign
Campaign & Digital Marketing
Full campaign creative across digital and print — built to drive awareness and direct-to-consumer sales. Product photography, digital advertising, and print collateral all designed in-house to keep the brand tone consistent across every channel.
eCommerce
Website & eCommerce
A clean, brand-consistent DTC retail experience built for online sales — making product selection and repeat purchase straightforward. Designed and built front-end in-house.
A gas-station product in need of a real brand
In 2010, e-cigarettes were a convenience store product — cheaply packaged, single-use, and designed for impulse rather than considered purchase. The category was growing fast, but the products on the market were treating smokers who genuinely wanted to switch as an afterthought.
The challenge was building something premium enough to justify a higher price point and drive repeat purchase — in a market moving fast, with a regulatory environment visibly tightening around online nicotine sales. Every design decision had to work both commercially and within an increasingly uncertain legal landscape.
A real cigarette, done better — built end to end
The entire brand was built around a simple, honest idea: this is a real cigarette, done better. The visual identity drew on the structural confidence of traditional cigarette packaging — familiar enough to land immediately, premium enough to signal something different. The name, the colour system, the packaging weight, all of it designed to feel like a genuine upgrade rather than a novelty product.
I designed and sourced the physical packaging to specification — the rechargeable unit housing and cartridge pack both had to feel satisfying in hand, because in this category the unboxing moment is part of the product experience. Campaign and eCommerce followed the same principle: everything built in-house, consistent from first impression to repeat purchase.
- Full brand identity — naming, logo, color, typography, positioning, and guidelines
- Physical packaging — pack and cartridge system design, supplier sourcing, and production
- Campaign creative — digital, print, and product photography direction
- eCommerce site — product pages, checkout, and front-end development
Proved the concept — wound down on our terms
Real E-Cigarette found its market. The brand worked, the product performed, and the eCommerce operation ran cleanly. It demonstrated that a design-led, premium entry could genuinely differentiate in a category that had never tried.
When the FDA's regulatory position on online nicotine sales became clear in 2013, we made the call to wind down ahead of enforcement rather than operate in uncertain legal territory. A market-timing story, not a product failure — the brand did exactly what it was built to do.
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