As someone who's been drinking Recess for the past two years as my go-to alternative to soda, I've experienced firsthand how powerful the right beverage can be for managing anxiety and elevating mood throughout the day. What drew me to the brand initially was the thoughtful cloud branding (reminiscent of brands like Alani Nu) where every design element feels intentional and creates an instant vibe.

However, I noticed that while Recess has incredible product benefits (magnesium, adaptogens, mood support) and stunning packaging design, their visual marketing didn't always capture the emotional transformation these drinks provide. The existing imagery often showed the product in standard beverage photography contexts, missing the opportunity to showcase Recess as a lifestyle ritual and mindful moment facilitator rather than just another canned drink.

The challenge was clear: How do we translate the internal feeling of calm, clarity, and elevated mood into scroll-stopping visual narratives that make people FEEL the Recess experience before they even taste it?

My approach centered on creating a comprehensive multi-flavor spec campaign that would position each Recess flavor within its own hyper-specific emotional and environmental narrative—treating each variant as a character in a larger wellness lifestyle story.

Strategic Framework:

Strawberry Rose → Elevated vitality, post-workout glow, choosing mindful energy over alcohol

Blackberry Chai → Bold dopamine rush, playful luxury, color-explosion joy

Tropical Bliss → Island escape, grounded serenity, nature connection

2. Location as Psychology Rather than generic "pretty backgrounds," I selected locations that amplified each flavor's emotional promise:

Vegas cabanas (choosing calm over chaos)

Malibu studios (post-Pilates clarity)

Luxury pool settings (dopamine-driven aesthetics)

Rodeo Drive (accessible luxury ritual)

Hawaiian sacred sites (spiritual grounding)

3. Visual Language Development I developed a dual-pillar photography system:

Dopamine-Driven: Saturated colors, clean composition, instant visual reward

Emotional-Depth: Warm tones, atmospheric lighting, timeless connection

Each image balanced both pillars differently based on the flavor's personality and intended emotional trigger.

4. Technical Execution Using AI image generation with hyper-detailed prompts, I focused on:

Photorealistic authenticity (condensation physics, natural imperfections, real light behavior)

Strategic color harmony (can gradients echoing environments)

Relatable luxury (aspirational yet achievable moments)

Cultural respect (especially in Hawaiian locations with honu symbolism)

The resulting campaign creates a complete sensory ecosystem where each Recess flavor lives within its own visually distinctive world, yet all share a cohesive brand language of mindful indulgence and elevated everyday moments.

Golden Hour POV → iPhone-style hand-held shot with gradient sunset perfectly matching can's blue-to-yellow ombre, creating "this drink IS this moment" color psychology

Kualoa Mountain Drama → Woman on dock with iconic Ko'olau range backdrop, positioning Recess as essential companion to bucket-list experiences

Black Sand Meditation → Punaluʻu volcanic beach with sacred honu, elevating product to spiritual ritual tool (contrast of jet-black sand with turquoise water and pastel can creating profound visual poetry)

Rodeo Drive Luxury → Tesla interior cup holder moment showing accessible daily luxury and mindful choice

Vegas Cabana Choice → Choosing Recess over alcohol in high-energy setting, redefining luxury as clarity over chaos

Post-Pilates Glow → Malibu studio moment capturing that elevated vitality, warm golden light on blonde model embodying radiant health

Hot Pink Pool Paradise → Saturated ombre sky with vibrant slide, can hovering over crystal water (pure color-explosion joy and playful luxury aesthetic)

Brand Elevation: Positioned Recess beyond functional beverage into lifestyle philosophy ("mindful moments deserve beautiful rituals")

Emotional Resonance: Each image triggers specific feelings (wanderlust, serenity, joy, vitality) before viewer even reads product benefits

Scroll-Stopping Power: Leveraged psychological triggers (impossible color contrasts, relatable POV perspectives, sacred location recognition, aspirational-yet-achievable moments)

Cultural Authenticity: Respected Hawaiian traditions while creating profound symbolism (honu representing longevity/peace, volcanic landscapes as transformation metaphor)

Visual Cohesion: Despite diverse locations and moods, maintained brand consistency through authentic condensation details on every can, strategic gradient-to-environment color matching, balance of dopamine-bright and emotionally-warm pillars, and natural, unforced product integration

This project allowed me to merge my genuine love for the Recess brand with my passion for branding visuals, psychology, and visual storytelling. As someone who relies on drinks like these for mood support and anxiety management, I wanted to create imagery that honored the real transformation they provide (not just refreshment, but ritual; not just taste, but mindset shift).

The cloud branding that initially drew me in deserved photography that matched its thoughtful aesthetic. By treating each flavor as a complete emotional world and each location as a psychological amplifier, I created a campaign that makes viewers FEEL the Recess effect through pure visual experience.

The result is a portfolio of images that work as both standalone art pieces and conversion-driving product photography (scroll-stopping moments that make people save, share, and ultimately reach for Recess as their tool for navigating modern life with more calm, clarity, and joy).

Campaign Type: Spec Product Photography Role: Creative Director, Brand Strategist, AI Prompt Architect

Gemini Nano Banana (AI image generation)

Claude Sonnet 4 (strategic prompt development)

Qwen3-235B-A22B-Instruct-2507 (immersive prompt crafting)

Master system prompt engineered with years of marketing expertise and psychology principles

Product photo reference upload for brand accuracy

Objective: Elevate Recess from functional beverage to aspirational lifestyle essential through emotionally resonant, psychologically optimized visual narratives