Redesign of the Packaging for the Established Gemerka Brand
Gemerka is a well-known Slovak mineral water brand with a distinctive product characteristic – its naturally occurring magnesium and calcium content. The goal of this redesign was therefore not to create a completely new brand. Instead, we wanted to preserve its recognizability and everything that already worked well within the existing packaging while refining the visual identity, modernizing it, and positioning it closer to the premium mineral water segment.
The original Gemerka packaging contained a relatively large number of graphic elements. The logo was accompanied by signature waves, curves, gradients, and several decorative details. As a result, the relatively small label surface carried a high amount of visual information competing for attention. Although the GEMERKA brand name remained clearly visible, the overall packaging design felt more complicated and less contemporary.
A Simpler Packaging Design for a More Premium Product
When developing the new packaging design, we deliberately chose the opposite approach—rather than adding more elements, we started removing them. Decorative waves and other graphic elements that were no longer essential for brand recognition were eliminated. The overall composition was simplified, creating a much clearer visual hierarchy.
The dominant feature of the new packaging became the GEMERKA name itself. A large dark blue panel creates a strong contrast with the brand’s signature blue PET bottle, giving the product greater shelf presence. The white lower section of the label introduces more space and visual calm while allowing consumers to identify each mineral water variant more quickly. Instead of relying on numerous small graphic details, the new packaging uses bold color blocks, clean typography, and a controlled color palette.
The result is cleaner, more confident brand communication. By reducing unnecessary graphic elements, we created the impression of a more premium product and moved Gemerka closer to the premium mineral water category without sacrificing its established brand recognition.
Brand Evolution Instead of Revolution
When redesigning an established product, finding the right balance of change is essential. Changes that are too subtle may go unnoticed by consumers, while a radical redesign can damage the brand recognition built over many years. For Gemerka, we therefore chose an evolutionary approach.
We retained the signature blue color, the dominant GEMERKA brand name, and the core color-coding system used to differentiate individual products. What changed was the way these elements are used throughout the packaging. The new design gives them more room to breathe, allowing the brand to appear calmer, more premium, and more contemporary.
As a result, Gemerka has not transformed into a completely different visual identity. At first glance, it is still unmistakably Gemerka—only in a more refined and modern form. We consider this one of the most important principles when redesigning packaging for established FMCG brands.
A Packaging System for the Entire Product Portfolio
From the beginning, the new packaging was designed as a unified system capable of working not only for a single product but across the entire portfolio. The core label architecture remains consistent, while individual variants are differentiated through simple color accents.
The classic mineral water range features a cleaner, more technical packaging design, while flavored varieties receive bolder color areas and fruit illustrations. Thanks to the shared packaging architecture, however, every product clearly belongs to the same family. Consumers first recognize the GEMERKA brand and only then identify the specific product variant.
This approach also makes the packaging system highly scalable. New SKUs no longer require a completely new visual concept—they simply integrate into the established brand architecture.
Packaging That Lets the Brand Speak for Itself
The redesign resulted in a simpler, stronger, and more premium-looking Gemerka. By removing visual clutter, we were able to emphasize what matters most—the brand itself. The packaging no longer competes for attention through numerous graphic effects but instead relies on a clear hierarchy, strong contrast, clean typography, and bold color areas.
The project also demonstrates that creating stronger packaging does not always mean adding more elements. Sometimes the greatest improvement comes from knowing exactly what to remove.
Less graphics. More brand. Stronger packaging.
