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SUP | High-end culinary "drop" experience
Project type
Luxury Drop
Location
New York City
Date
October 2025
Unreleased
While this project didn't see the light of day, it allowed me to flex my muscles in urban branding, proving that even the most traditional comfort food can be reimagined through the lens of intentional design and modern culture.
Role | Creative Strategist, Visual Identity Designer & Experience Curator
I envisioned the full SUP ecosystem from the ground up, merging culinary substance with bold, minimalist strategy. My work involved defining the "luxury drop" positioning and ensuring that every element — from the photorealistic art direction to the UI mockup — conveyed a sense of "If it's good, it's sup," the motto behind the brand.
SUP was born from a simple but radical idea: Why can't a bowl of noodles feel as exclusive as a high-fashion drop?
In a city like New York, where everything moves fast, I was commissioned to create a brand that was fast enough to eat on the go, but was also comforting and nutritious. The target consumer for this is the artist, the producer, the director, the one who is also a foodie but has no time to waste, and will likely skip their meal. My goal was to move globally-inspired soups — Ramen, Pho, Laksa — away from the casual takeout or worse, the 'granny' cliché and into a curated, premium experience that signifies quality and modern edge at first glance.
To break through the noise of the Manhattan food scene, I knew we needed high-contrast narratives:
I anchored the brand in a deep, sophisticated charcoal and a vibrant Terracotta accent. Psychologically, orange-tones are known to stimulate appetite, but by using this specific earthy, matte terracotta, we signaled artisanal and rooted rather than 'fast food.' This creates an interesting cognitive shortcut: the customer instantly recognizes that this isn't just soup; it's a curated craft with added value. The custom logotype, which embeds the steaming bowl directly into the name, acts as a visual mnemonic — making the brand name and the product inseparable in the consumer's mind.
The Product Ecosystem
• The packaging system: Instead of the regular container, we engineered a lightweight, thermal vessel that maintains the integrity of the broth while acting as a mobile billboard. I paired this with branded kraft paper wraps and custom accessory packets, bamboo spoons and chopsticks, to ensure the unboxing felt a little handmade but just enough to be customizable, even on the go.
• Visual identity/iconography: I developed a minimalist iconography system that speaks to a young, affluent audience that values the "less is more" philosophy. The high-contrast aesthetic ensures the brand is instantly recognizable in a crowded digital feed, prioritizing a digital-first presence that feels like a premium lifestyle brand. This is important because the main source of purchase is their website/app, which can be accessed with a simple click on their social media posts.
• Product experience curation: Every touchpoint was designed to foster a sense of limited-edition exclusivity. By treating each soup variety as a "drop," we utilized scarcity as a psychological driver, turning a simple meal into a sought-after event for food enthusiasts and professionals alike.