Our website uses cookies
Let's discuss your project
Just type your contacts
By clicking, you agree to our Privacy Policy
Let’s see if we’re a fit
Share a few details and we’ll get back to you with next steps, timelines, and options for helping to grow your brand.
By clicking, you agree to our Privacy Policy
Sex, drugs, science and brand strategy: how Moon Juice built a $20M supplement brand
Moon Juice ignored the rules that other supplement brands considered unbreakable. They merged sex, science, indulgence, ritual, trippy feel and self-care and built an entire unique culture, not just another line of dietary capsules.
January 17, 2026
From Juice Bar to Cult Brand
Moon Juice started in 2011 in Venice Beach (California) as a small juice bar. We first noticed Moon Juice back in 2018 while working closely with the supplement industry. Remember stopping mid-scroll and thinking, their branding is on another level, it’s like nothing we’ve seen before in the supplement niche! By that moment, they had a strong brand on Amazon, a proprietary website, and a highly engaged community on social media. In 2022, Moon Juice raised $7 million in Series C financing. Today, it's an international DTC brand offering a wide variety of products, with 450,000 followers on Instagram.
Moon Juice is proof that bold, provocative branding works when it’s grounded in market research and brand strategy, not just spreading your creativity.
Moon Juice is proof that bold, provocative branding works when it’s grounded in market research and brand strategy, not just spreading your creativity.
What you see when you look at Moon Juice:
They use sensitive and taboo themes like sexuality and altered states, framing them in a symbolic and positive tone.
Moon Juice speaks openly about sexual health, libido and desire. The tone is sensual, sometimes almost uncomfortable, and that’s exactly why people notice them. You can see this strategy in underwear or sex toys brand but definitely it’s not common for supplement brands which stay reserved and conservative.
They tap into an ethereal, almost fairy-like aesthetic. Unicorns, flying cats, Disney dancing mushrooms. Moon Jucie poses in a surreal and playful way and it immediately separates it from the clean, clinical look most supplement brands rely on.
They tap into an ethereal, almost fairy-like aesthetic. Unicorns, flying cats, Disney dancing mushrooms. Moon Jucie poses in a surreal and playful way and it immediately separates it from the clean, clinical look most supplement brands rely on.
They turned supplements into rituals.
This is one of their strongest moves. On a practical level, it’s the same capsules and dusts mixed with water, nothing special. But, we can see how on an emotional level, it turns into a ritual of potion-making and self-care with a sense of magic and indulgence.
Other supplement brands show the same boring pattern: recipes and tutorials with protein powders. Chlorella dust smoothie blended in a morning routine. That’s the same act as the Moon Juice products need - the product dissolves in water, but the act stays purely functional.
Moon Juice took that exact same action and flipped the meaning. They moved supplements out of the gym and health category and into luxury, pleasure, and ritualized self-care. And they did it not just for fun, but on purpose and with a very clear brand strategy in mind.
Other supplement brands show the same boring pattern: recipes and tutorials with protein powders. Chlorella dust smoothie blended in a morning routine. That’s the same act as the Moon Juice products need - the product dissolves in water, but the act stays purely functional.
Moon Juice took that exact same action and flipped the meaning. They moved supplements out of the gym and health category and into luxury, pleasure, and ritualized self-care. And they did it not just for fun, but on purpose and with a very clear brand strategy in mind.
Moon Juice brand strategy molecules: What made it work, what you can adopt, and what will fail if copied blindly
Moon Juice became successful because they knew exactly what they were doing and who they were doing it for. This was not intuition or luck. It was a sequence of deliberate strategic choices that reinforced each other.
1
Unique brand positioning
Brand strategy molecule 1
They don’t sell supplements. They sell meaning and ritual.
Moon Juice built its positioning around a three-part system: Plants, Science, Wisdom. Most wellness brands choose one angle and overcommit to it, either aesthetics, plant-based origin, or functional science behind it. Moon Juice combined all three and made them work together in synergy. Instead of telling people to take magnesium, they created cultural artifacts like the Sleepy Girl Mocktail. Supplements stop being instructions and start becoming rituals of transition into an ethereal, magical state.
2
Creating a Blue Ocean for supplements as an indulgence product
Brand strategy molecule 2
Not only does Moon Juice position itself differently, but it created a completely new market niche.
Supplements traditionally sit in sports, medical necessity, or age-related health. Instead of fighting for a place under this market’s sun and outperform other supplement brands on formulations or discounts, Moon Juice shifted the category perception. They built a different mental category altogether: supplement-driven self-indulgence and ritualized self-care. Their visuals replace gym bodies and performance narratives with surreal characters, fantasy symbols, and playful imagery that are culturally relevant for audiences who care about identity and experience, not optimization.
This works because Moon Juice entered an existing cultural shift around self-care, identity, and experiential wellness. It won’t work if you try to “create a Blue Ocean” in isolation, without cultural momentum or audience readiness. Enter a moment that’s already forming and give it a name, a shape, and a system.
Brand Doula recommendations
3
Precise targeting through exclusion
Brand strategy molecule 3
They chose not to educate everyone.
Moon Juice never tried to appeal to the broad “I want to be healthier” audience. They spoke to people already immersed in wellness culture. There are no long explanations about adaptogens or educational breakdowns for beginners.
This worked because Moon Juice grew in California, where concepts like self-awareness, Ashwagandha and emotional balance already lived in everyday language. Their visuals and copy act as a filter. If you understand the context, you’re in. If not, you move on.
This worked because Moon Juice grew in California, where concepts like self-awareness, Ashwagandha and emotional balance already lived in everyday language. Their visuals and copy act as a filter. If you understand the context, you’re in. If not, you move on.
Use this approach if your audience already exists and you want depth, loyalty, and cultural resonance instead of reach. But if you are an early-stage brand, entering a new market, or building a category, this Moon Juice strategy simply won’t work for you. If you are still trying to figure out which of these cases is yours, you can ask for a helping consulting hand of our Birth-to-Market service at Brand Doula.
Brand Doula recommendations
4
Eclectic and unique design as a perception control system
Brand strategy molecule 4
Design at Moon Juice isn’t there just to look good. The team must have spent hours tuning it to take control over how the product is interpreted and trusted.
They deliberately combine three visual layers: and yeah, this is where you will feel pain if you missed the 1st step of building the positioning.
Moon Juice’s “Plants, Science, Wisdom” in design:
- The clinical layer uses simple, utilitarian typography and structured layouts that resemble pharmacy or lab packaging. This anchors the product in credibility and prevents the brand from drifting into pure fantasy.
- The soft, natural layer comes through in pastels, textures, warm light, and amber glass, making the product feel gentle, safe, and suitable for everyday use.
- The surreal layer appears in unexpected props, playful compositions, and dreamlike references of unicorns and dancing mushrooms that don’t belong in traditional supplement advertising. This is what pushes the product into the territory of ritual.
Be creative in your design if and only if your audience and brand strategy will respond to it, and design has a defined job beyond aesthetics. If design decisions are driven by trends, taste, or Pinterest references without strategic logic, you are playing a roulette that may cost your business its existence.
Brand Doula recommendations
5
Soft paths instead of aggressive funnels + community support
Brand strategy molecule 5
Moon Juice organizes its products around emotional and physical states like sleep, stress, or libido.
Navigation is light, funnels are subtle, and friction is minimal. This works because trust already exists. For brands without recognition, this structure fails - freedom without guidance leads to confusion.
Moon Juice does not foreground testimonials, studies, or claims. Their trust is generated by the audience itself through routines, recipes, tags, and shared experiences. They don’t prove that the product works, instead they show that people already use it.
Moon Juice does not foreground testimonials, studies, or claims. Their trust is generated by the audience itself through routines, recipes, tags, and shared experiences. They don’t prove that the product works, instead they show that people already use it.
Use this approach if demand already exists and users come with intent and if you have an active, visible community. Avoid it, if you are still building trust and need a clear path from problem to solution.
Brand Doula recommendations
6
Different aesthetics and language for Instagram and the website
Brand strategy molecule 6
Moon Juice deliberately separates how the brand looks and speaks on Instagram versus on the website because the roles are different.
Instagram operates at the top of the funnel. Its job is attraction, cultural signaling, and emotional engagement. This is where the brand allows itself to be louder, more surreal, more playful, and more provocative. Visual metaphors, fantasy elements, memes, rituals, and lifestyle cues dominate because the goal is to stop the scroll and create desire.
The website is where curiosity turns into understanding and purchase. The design is much calmer, more structured, and more legible (you won’t see any Rapunzel-like cats or sexualized content). Instead, you will find the unified (but still having its unique aesthetics which reminds much more of a cosmetic rather than a supplement brand) product photography, product information, benefits, dosage, and knowledge from a pool of experts.
Use different visual intensity and language across channels if and only if you clearly understand what role each channel plays in your funnel. If Instagram and your website look and sound identical, you’re either underusing one of them or confusing both.
Brand Doula recommendations
Hands down, Moon Juice did a damn good job! Not because they were provocative, surreal, or visually loud, but because they did the proper work first. They researched the market, understood the cultural moment, chose their audience deliberately, and built a cohesive brand strategy. That’s why the brand feels alive.
The main takeaway for other brands is not “be bold” or “be weird.” The takeaway is structural. It doesn’t matter whether you work in supplements, beauty, wellness, or any adjacent category. What matters is knowing your current business state, your level of trust, your audience, and your real goals.
Moon Juice’s strategy works because everything is aligned. Copying individual elements without that alignment won’t elevate a brand. It will expose its weak points. The real work is knowing what fits your stage, what needs to wait, and what should never be copied at all. If you don’t want to navigate that alone, this is where Brand Doula comes in. We work at any stage of the journey providing a dedicated service, from market research and niche definition to building a brand strategy that connects creative decisions with real financial growth.
Final thoughts
FAQ: Budget photo and video
Moon Juice is a California-based supplement and wellness brand founded in 2011. It started as a juice bar and evolved into a DTC company selling supplements focused on stress, sleep, libido, and overall well-being. The brand is known for combining science-based formulas with a strong lifestyle, ritual, and cultural identity.
Moon Juice became successful by building a clear brand strategy before scaling marketing. Instead of competing on ingredients or price, the brand reframed supplements as indulgent self-care rituals, aligned with existing cultural shifts around wellness, women’s health, and stress. This positioning helped it stand out in a crowded market.
To build a supplement brand that stands out, you need more than a good formula. Strong brands start by clarifying focus, audience, and competitive context, then build positioning and a brand system across product, design, website, and content. Differentiation comes from meaning and clarity, not from copying trends.
At Brand Doula, this process usually begins with a Clarity Consultation ($200, 90 minutes). This is a focused working session where we review your brand or website live, identify positioning, messaging, UX, or visual gaps, and define clear next steps. A written action list is delivered within 24 hours. But to get a successful brand strategy, you need to ground it in a comprehensive analytics and market research.
From there, brands typically move into Audience Research ($700) to define real customer personas and buying motivations, and Competitor Analysis ($700) to understand how the market is positioned and where differentiation is possible. If execution issues are blocking growth, a Brand Audit ($800) or Deep Site Audit + Fixes ($700–$1,200) is added to resolve messaging, structure, and conversion problems.
At Brand Doula, this process usually begins with a Clarity Consultation ($200, 90 minutes). This is a focused working session where we review your brand or website live, identify positioning, messaging, UX, or visual gaps, and define clear next steps. A written action list is delivered within 24 hours. But to get a successful brand strategy, you need to ground it in a comprehensive analytics and market research.
From there, brands typically move into Audience Research ($700) to define real customer personas and buying motivations, and Competitor Analysis ($700) to understand how the market is positioned and where differentiation is possible. If execution issues are blocking growth, a Brand Audit ($800) or Deep Site Audit + Fixes ($700–$1,200) is added to resolve messaging, structure, and conversion problems.
Branding costs in health and wellness depend on the business stage and the depth of work required. Early-stage brands usually need clarity and structure to launch. Growing brands need positioning, messaging, and a system that can scale.
At Brand Doula, we organized our branding services in a modular and stage-based way. For focused strategic foundation, a Brand Platform costs $800 and delivers a 6–10 page strategic document covering mission, values, positioning, key messaging, and tone-of-voice principles. This is strategy-only, designed to guide future decisions.
For early-stage businesses preparing to launch or validate an idea, Mini Brand projects start at $1,200. This includes brand personality, value proposition, messaging examples, and a lightweight visual direction with color palette and typography guidance.
For companies scaling beyond early stage, Full Branding ranges from $1,800 to $3,500. This covers competitive and audience analysis, full brand platform, deep messaging system, complete visual identity, and a 15–25 page brand guide with clear usage rules.
This structure allows wellness and supplement brands to invest at the right level for their current stage, without overpaying for systems they’re not ready to use yet.
At Brand Doula, we organized our branding services in a modular and stage-based way. For focused strategic foundation, a Brand Platform costs $800 and delivers a 6–10 page strategic document covering mission, values, positioning, key messaging, and tone-of-voice principles. This is strategy-only, designed to guide future decisions.
For early-stage businesses preparing to launch or validate an idea, Mini Brand projects start at $1,200. This includes brand personality, value proposition, messaging examples, and a lightweight visual direction with color palette and typography guidance.
For companies scaling beyond early stage, Full Branding ranges from $1,800 to $3,500. This covers competitive and audience analysis, full brand platform, deep messaging system, complete visual identity, and a 15–25 page brand guide with clear usage rules.
This structure allows wellness and supplement brands to invest at the right level for their current stage, without overpaying for systems they’re not ready to use yet.
Co-founder, Creative director and content producer
Katherine Neli
Expert in brand strategy and content production, with 8 years of experience across e-commerce, SaaS, and IT.
Co-founder, Brand strategist and web designer
Maria Glazko
Entrepreneur and brand builder with 10+ years in branding and web design, ex-founder of Mon Bon and Cocodo Brando.
Website design for a food business
coloreat
Photography for social media and website
Potent Organics
Most brands aren’t broken — just unfinished. These have already been polished with Brand Doula.
Case studies
We turn complex products into clear stories — with websites that convert, messaging that sticks, and positioning your users actually get.
Your product is smart but your brand story should stay simple
Get a website review
Want a pro eye on your website? We’ll review clarity, visuals, UX and message — and share what to improve.
By clicking, you agree to our Privacy Policy
Book a brand consult
We work with founders, creators and product teams. Tell us where you're at — and we’ll meet you there.
By clicking, you agree to our Privacy Policy