ION8.

Moving ION8 up a gear.

Following the success of the one-touch EVO bottle that has sold in excess of 10M, generating revenue of over £120M in the last 4 years... We decided to create a high-value proposition to elevate the brand and create a high-margin, high-ticket-price product.

Primo is a modular, lifestyle-led bottle ecosystem that maintains all of ION8's trusted performance with premium materials, interchangeable functionality and a refined aesthetic language.

Sectors

Consumer Goods

Expertise

Product Design

Solutions

Product Marketing

Background.

A trusted family brand ready to reach a more aspirational audience.

ION8 came to WMP looking to build on years of collaboration with a bolder, more premium proposition.

ION8 has built its reputation on dependable, leak-proof water bottles for families and school-aged users, and WMP and ION8 have worked together on multiple successful design projects over the years. Together, we identified an opportunity to expand beyond ION8's core £15 category and appeal to a more aspirational audience: consumers seeking elevated design, longevity and personal expression, without losing the performance ION8 is known for.

The Solution.

A modular system, engineered end to end and proven in market.

One bottle, three lids, four sizes, ten colours.

Primo was designed as a platform rather than a single SKU. With a universal wide-mouth opening across all four bottle sizes, users can build a personalised configuration from three lid options: Roam, a rugged screw top for outdoor use, secure storage and carbonated drinks; Urban, a stainless steel straw flip lid for effortless sipping on the move; and Revive, a fast flow sports lid engineered for workouts and hygiene. This cross-compatible system gives users ownership over how the product adapts to their lifestyle, whether in the gym, on a commute or out on the trail.

From insight to launch.

WMP supported ION8 from early research and concept exploration through to detailed engineering for manufacture in collaboration with the production team in Asia.

We defined the complete CMF strategy for the range and produced lifestyle, studio and campaign imagery to communicate the new premium positioning.

Let's work together

Let's partner to create brand, product, and experience solutions that move people and markets.

Get in touch

Built for everyday life.

Every detail was shaped by real world behaviour. The universal wide opening makes the bottle easy to fill, clean and live with day to day. Copper coated vacuum insulation improves thermal performance by 30%, maintaining temperature for over 10 hours with no external condensation. An optional textured silicone grip sleeve improves durability and tactility, while the soft touch base prevents clanging on hard surfaces. Antimicrobial and BPA free components support a clean drinking experience wherever the bottle is used.

Sustainable by design.

Every Primo bottle is made from 100% recyclable stainless steel with solvent free paint, long life seals and interchangeable parts that extend the lifespan. By creating a single platform with modular components, the design reduces tooling waste and makes supplying spare replaceable parts straightforward. A product that is genuinely valued for design quality helps users move away from throwaway culture and frequent replacement of cheaper bottles that are not built to last.

Validated demand.

ION8 chose to debut Primo on Kickstarter not as a funding exercise but as a global insight tool. The campaign revealed which lids, colours and sizes resonated across regions and confirmed strong appetite for versatility, with many backers choosing to purchase multiple lids. Almost half of all backers chose to pay extra for the silicone grip, proving the value of personalisation. These insights shaped the retail range and supported a more confident global rollout while building a community of early advocates.

Capturing the story.

To launch Primo with the right tone, the team travelled to the US to capture photography and film that felt premium, active and aspirational. Shooting in March meant the UK was cold and unpredictable, so California offered the weather, light and environments needed to reflect the product's intended lifestyle use. Over several days, WMP filmed the full Kickstarter story and gathered a large library of additional b-roll and stills for future marketing, working with local talent and a variety of outdoor and urban locations to build a visual identity that feels confident, authentic and aligned with the versatility of the product.

The impact.

A Kickstarter smash that's opened doors with premium retailers.

The Primo campaign raised nearly $43,000 from 740 backers, 428% of its original $10,000 goal, and earned Kickstarter's 'Project We Love' distinction. Primo has since launched into retail, and has already opened conversations with major premium retailers, broadening ION8's reach into lifestyle and design-driven markets.

In the 2 months since the product was launched to retail channels, the Primo range has already achieved sales of £2M. This is the fastest update of any ION8 product to date. The project represents not only a successful product introduction, but a meaningful repositioning of the ION8 brand.