Premium vape design in a category that had never seen it.

In 2010, e-cigarettes were a convenience store product . Cheaply packaged, single-use, and designed for impulse rather than considered purchase. The category was growing fast, but the products on the market were treating smokers who genuinely wanted to switch as an afterthought.

The challenge was building something premium enough to justify a higher price point and drive repeat purchase; in a market moving fast, with a regulatory environment visibly tightening around online nicotine sales. Every design decision had to work both commercially and within an increasingly uncertain legal landscape.

The entire brand was built around a simple, honest idea: this is a real cigarette, done better. The visual identity drew on the structural confidence of traditional cigarette packaging. The name, the color system, the packaging, all of it designed to feel like a real upgrade rather than a novelty product.

I designed the physical packaging, the rechargeable unit housing and cartridge packages for the unboxing moment to be a part of the product experience. Campaign and eCommerce followed the same principle: everything built in-house, consistent from first impression to repeat purchase.

Real E-Cigarette found its market. The brand worked, the product performed, and the eCommerce operation ran cleanly. It demonstrated that a design-led, attractive premium entry could excel in a category that felt cheap.

When the FDA's regulatory position on online nicotine sales became clear in 2013, we made the call to wind down ahead of enforcement rather than operate in uncertain legal territory. A market-timing story, not a product failure — the brand did exactly what it was built to do.