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Bus stop ad mockup for Hint featuring tree graphics and the tagline “the great scent of trees. not chemicals.” promoting a natural scent alternative in a clean, minimalist layout.

Hint

Designing a new category for everyday scent.

The air-freshener market has long been defined by excess. Products relied on loud fragrances, chemical signaling, and disposable formats, framing scent as something to mask rather than experience. Despite growing consumer interest in wellness and design-led products, the category itself remained stagnant and poorly differentiated.

New Studio Partners saw an opportunity to rethink the space entirely, treating scent as an ongoing part of daily life instead of a one-off product. That idea became Air Care, a new category in which scent feels intentional and easy to live with.

From that foundation, New Studio Partners developed Hint, defining the name, product idea, and brand system in parallel and shaping a calm identity built around simplicity and balance. The name reflects the idea directly: a subtle improvement to the air in homes and cars, without overpowering scents or chemicals. Soft blues and the Sofia Pro typeface give the brand a refined, approachable presence, and the system is designed to support a subscription-based model. Together, they shape Hint into a considered alternative in a category redefined around everyday use.

Pathways

  • Creation

Sector

  • Consumer Brands

Scope

  • Naming
  • Research
  • Brand Identity
  • Logo
  • Guidelines
  • Campaigns
  • Packaging

Partner

  • Jonathan Lin

Year

  • 2022
Billboard mockup for Hint with the phrase “life smells great.” in coral text, featuring joyful portraits of two women on a dark blue background.

Hint represents purity. The name "Hint" reflects the brand's idea of subtly improving the air quality in homes and cars without overpowering scents or chemicals.

Flat-lay photo of Hint’s “Ocean Breeze” scented wax tin, surrounded by natural elements like orange slices, lavender, and driftwood on a light background.
Animated image of Hint’s scented wax box rotating on a light background, featuring minimalist branding and product details in white and silver text.

Hint is designed to feel friendly and down-to-earth, with a sophisticated, high-end finish. Simple, contemporary designs keep it inviting and help it stand apart in a category crowded with dated products.

Horizontal color palette showing seven Hint brand colors with names, RGB, CMYK, and HEX codes, including Hint Space, Glacier, Air, Dark, Night, Noon, and Light.

Hint's color sets are critical in setting the brand tone, with the selected shades of blue conveying trustworthiness, calmness, and serenity.

Character set samples of Sofia Pro Medium and Bold weights, showing uppercase, lowercase, and symbols in a clean, geometric sans-serif style on white background.

Sofia Pro is the brand's primary typeface for its friendly yet sophisticated balance, used throughout the branding, except for the logo.

Character set samples of Sofia Pro Medium and Bold weights, showing uppercase, lowercase, and symbols in a clean, geometric sans-serif style on white background.
Animated Hint logo transitions over different backgrounds.

The brand symbol complements the brand's primary colors, allowing it to work effectively on a variety of different backgrounds or colors.

Subway station digital ad mockup showing a woman with arms out of a car window and the message “Life is better when it’s pure & simple.” with Hint branding.

In the extended visual language, photography is used to help promote the feel and tone of the brand.

Mockup of a large-scale Hint brand installation wrapping a city building, featuring the “h” logo over an icy shoreline photo, promoting a clean, nature-inspired identity in an urban setting.

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Hint: Naming & Brand Identity for Air Care, a New Scent Category — New Studio Partners