Bus stop ad 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

Brand Identity for an "Air Care" scent company.

The air-care market was previously dominated by outdated and tacky scent products that were saturated with chemicals.

Hint was founded with the objective of revolutionizing this market by introducing unique and aesthetically pleasing scents that are simple to use. The branding project aims to create a modern, approachable brand identity that aligns with Hint's values of simplicity, ease of use, and a subscription-based model.

Pathways

  • Creation

Sector

  • Retail

Scope

  • Naming
  • Brand Identity

Partner

  • Jonathan Lin

Year

  • 2022
Outdoor billboard 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 concept 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 takes pride in being friendly, casual, and down-to-earth, yet sophisticated and high-end. The packaging of Hint reflects this, with simple, contemporary designs that are inviting, standing out in a market saturated with outdated and tacky products.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.

Digital ad in a subway station 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.

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

Next Project

Citi Bike Plus

Side view of a branded Citi Bike+ van parked on the street, featuring a bold blue graphic with the phrase “Transporting the future.” promoting sustainable urban mobility.