Gel Blaster
Gel Blaster is an Austin-based consumer experience company, revolutionizing the way the world thinks about toys, play, and getting out there!
Our Vision: To foster a global movement that heals the world through play.
Our Mission: Get kids outside playing.
Our Purpose: We exist to nurture the playful spirit of children and awaken the inner child within us all.
Our Vision: To foster a global movement that heals the world through play.
Our Mission: Get kids outside playing.
Our Purpose: We exist to nurture the playful spirit of children and awaken the inner child within us all.
Be the senior-most member of the design team and join the CMO in ushering the brand from kickstarter success to global phenomenon.
Design the global retail presence efforts. Lead the project management software integration for Marketing, and acted as liaison with the Product team.
Design the global retail presence efforts. Lead the project management software integration for Marketing, and acted as liaison with the Product team.
The Ask:
Outcome:
- Formalized brand visual identity across touchpoints, enhancing brand consistency and recognition.
- Established brand shelf presence through cohesive packaging design, increasing product visibility and sales by 200%.
- Led packaging efforts for international distribution,ensuring compliance with global standards and expanding market reach by over 40%
Target Audience:
We found Gel Blaster to find it's niche between the target markets of "foam dart" and "paintball". Young, active men between the ages of 12 and 15 years of age.
We established a bold visual system built around high-contrast, vibrant product photography set against a predominantly black camo background. We paired that with a more mature yet fun brand voice across all collateral. This created a unified and premium look that clearly differentiated Gel Blaster from emerging competitors entering the category with a younger, foam dart–inspired aesthetic.
As legislation later reclassified the category as 12+, this early positioning proved critical—allowing the brand to align naturally with the new age requirement and reinforcing Gel Blaster as the “cooler,” more aspirational choice at retail.
As legislation later reclassified the category as 12+, this early positioning proved critical—allowing the brand to align naturally with the new age requirement and reinforcing Gel Blaster as the “cooler,” more aspirational choice at retail.
EXECUTION
As the company scaled, my role evolved into a senior, cross-functional design position. I was deeply involved in the ideation and launch of 10+ products, led global packaging and in-store shelf presence, and produced digital, e-commerce, and large-scale experiential assets including tour bus wraps and custom convention booth builds.
I supported the growth of the design team by managing two additional designers across multiple project management systems, while acting as a key liaison between product, sales, and marketing to align priorities and deliver work on deadline.
I supported the growth of the design team by managing two additional designers across multiple project management systems, while acting as a key liaison between product, sales, and marketing to align priorities and deliver work on deadline.
IMPACT & EVOLUTION
In just two years, Gel Blaster grew from a successful Kickstarter launch to $130M in annual gross revenue, achieving a market share more than 30% higher than its closest competitors, including Hasbro’s Gel Fire and Splat-R-Ball. I played a key role in scaling the brand across product, packaging, retail, and experiential design during this period of rapid growth.
SUMMARY
© 2020 Juan Baldera