The New Nootropic Gummy Sparking Joy And Changing The Conversation Around Mental Health

No. 8 is not your typical vitamin — in simple fact, it stands in a category all its personal. An completely new classification that leans on the ability of nootropics and day-to-day conscious procedures to aid persons dwell a well balanced, harmonious lifetime. Each and every of No. 8’s items — ‘Energy’, ‘Sleep,’ ‘Calm,’ and ‘Focus’ — are small sugar, vegan, gluten-absolutely free, non-GMO, and have proven scientific scientific tests at the rear of them. Its model guarantee? “Nourish the brain, gas the soul.”

Trina Chan, cofounder & CEO of No. 8, partnered with Kaling Lim (who cofounded corporations like Razer and serves as a founding trader of Lucasfilm Animation Singapore) to start the brand, which is focused on nootropics, mind wellness and psychological health.

Nootropics are frequently located as an component in useful, non-alcoholic beverages as well as in the sports activities sector, and according to Studies and Details, it is a marketplace that is projected to access $5.32 billion by 2026. Nootropics are also hailed as a form of substance that can assistance cognitive efficiency.

In the course of Chan’s profession, she has been open up about her encounter with anxiousness, complications and sleepless nights owing to just about every stage of professional growth being just as bodily and mentally demanding as the subsequent. This led her to commit in her psychological nicely-staying and follow self-care rituals, which served her detect what she wanted in get to clearly show up as her ideal self. Between individuals non-negotiable behavior that set her up for accomplishment: silent time in the early morning, for journaling and meditation.

That’s element of what determined Chan’s goal of normalizing conversations around mental well being and bringing a holistic approach to the wellness industry.

No. 8 released in October of 2021 with its initially two goods, Power and Sleep, whilst Calm and Focus adopted in November. With individuals suffering from brain fog submit-Covid and running to return to a productive get the job done stream, matcha and mint flavored Concentration is dominating its product or service vary (aimed to aid “Find your flow”), with Snooze as the close second (its crucial ingredient is melatonin and also consists of Vitamin B6).

Whilst the natural vitamins are health supplements geared in the direction of your specific targets, No. 8’s ethos is centered on the ability and beauty of constructing rituals.

“With all of our messaging, we make it definitely clear that making the most of No. 8 is also about the schedule,” Chan shares. “It’s also about asking on your own, what are the other patterns you are constructing all around the motion of taking the gummies that can foster the supposed way of thinking, and boost your feeling of staying serene, for case in point? The gummy need to definitely only be a smaller ingredient that supports you in that journey.”

She thinks that mindful procedures are critical to dwell a daily life in harmony and equilibrium.

When the chance arose, Chan was all set to build the brand name along with Lim, to endorse day-to-day self-care in a way that celebrates their heritage. The manufacturer title, No. 8, draws on Chinese tradition, as the “8” symbolizes harmony, equilibrium and luck, and the gummies’ flavor profiles are affected by Asian foodstuff and flavors that its workforce customers grew up feeding on, including ginger, yuzu, lychee, and pear. Chan continues: “Also, no make any difference which way you slice the ‘8’, regardless of whether it is horizontal or vertical, it really is symmetrical. And that was a wonderful way to embody our perception in that intellect and human body link.”

When the nootropic components make it a practical solution, No. 8’s branding also requires centre phase, as a hero part.

For Chan, every branding component of No. 8 — from the elevated packaging and structure to the material-abundant social media posts — serves as a system to surprise and delight users, and provides a sense of elegance and exhilaration to ritual-setting up.

“Good patterns aid set you up for good results. I consider it is the finest variety of self-adore, when you actively make the conclusion to exhibit up for by yourself,” Chan describes.

To kick off the design and style procedure for No. 8, Chan and Lim asked 20 of their mates to present them how they shop their nutritional supplements.

“We had just sent a PSA to our closest friends, asking them to mail us a image of their medication cupboard,” Chan shares. “We promised that the pics would not be circulated, would keep on being nameless, and that it would purely be for research purposes. Absolutely everyone was super open about it, which was the coolest portion due to the fact we had been developing for a new regular.”

Chan and Lim saw a very similar pattern in the way supplements were exhibited in their friends’ properties, which helped them recognize an prospect for storing natural vitamins: No. 8 can make it possible to exhibit supplements in a way that will get consumers thrilled to use them, thanks to the intentional branding and top quality glass bottles.

“The greater part of the photos we been given have been of very clear plastic jars that were being stashed absent in a drawer or a drugs cupboard. When I dug in a little little bit further, I arrived to have an understanding of that this was truly not a highlight in anyone’s working day,” Chan carries on. “That presented a actually massive chance to me, simply because we know that if you want to build a excellent practice, you want to make that experience pleasant. And I needed our items to be one thing that men and women would in fact delight in acquiring out on their kitchen counter or on their office desk. The jars are really intended to serve as a automobile for self-treatment and a reminder to carve out these times in your working day just for you.”

The ‘new normal’ that Chan refers to is why it is so essential for founders of new manufacturers to keep on being in advance of the eight ball — and No. 8’s crew managed to do this with traveling shades.

There is also the halo outcome that arrives into enjoy.

“The halo effect of very good branding is that it spurs dialogue and has an possibility to come to be a multiplier. So if a little something catches your eye on someone’s perform desk or Instagram feed, prospects are you’re possibly going to take a photo of it, Google it or ask somebody about it. The glass jars are meant to persuade people today to share openly about their wellness observe and also discover about brain health and fitness and psychological overall health, which is the core of what we are undertaking.”

Chan uncovered about the magic of robust structure and branding as a car for dialogue thanks to her former job as a founding member of the Museum of Ice Cream. She experienced also labored on Sephora’s merchandising and products obtaining crew prior to MOIC.

“My time at Museum of Ice Product is seriously the place I discovered the electricity of brand name identification and the importance of making use of these numerous mediums to boost it. So irrespective of whether it is the inexperienced box the jars arrive in, or the loaded printed brochure that points out the ingredients, or even the visible id of our social media content, almost everything that we put forward enhances the sensibility of the model.”

Chan partnered with award-successful feminine-led agency Utendahl Resourceful to style and establish No. 8’s branding.

Standing out and getting established aside from other brands was paramount to cofounders Chan and Lim.

You can say Chan’s qualifications at Museum of Ice Cream aided encourage an additional enjoyment portion of the R&D method: when Chan and Lim ended up collecting pictures from close friends and ended up deep in the solution growth section, they referred to their top key mission as ‘confectionary apothecary’ — referencing the sweet-like nature of the nootropic gummies, as nicely as their value as a self-care product.

“As we ended up commencing to approach this group, one particular of the main issues we had and that we have been hearing from anyone is that they experienced capsule exhaustion — men and women were taking 10 to 12 tablets or capsules a working day. That strengthened our choice to approach the gummy classification, which is approachable and fun.”

Chan experienced recognized Lim, who is a mentor to Chan, for a even though — they fulfilled in Singapore in which they are the two originally from.

“He arrived to me with the idea, which led me down the rabbit hole of examining and experimenting with nootropics,” Chan shares. “We began brainstorming all the distinct ways we could technique this classification differently. That led to a cold outreach to Dr. Bowen Jiang and Professor Dr. Octavio Choi, the two Stanford neuroscientists on our Clinical Council who have been with us because day one particular, from formulating all the way by means of to written content advancement on mental wellness on brain health.”

All the elements and dosages are primarily based on scientific exploration and clinical journals, vetted Dr. Jiang and Dr. Choi.

“Our formulations are normally-derived nootropics and the substances are normally located in Ayurvedic or common Chinese medication.”

Every detail in the creation of No. 8 was intentional and by design — actually.

“When people today see the glass jars the gummies appear in, they could be something. We have experienced persons check with no matter if they consist of a candle or tea. This implies I’ve completed my job right here — I’ve ensured that they’re eye catching adequate that men and women are curious to talk to about them.”

To create loyalty, No. 8 also launched a subscription product (just about every flavor jar has a 1-month source of 120 gummies) and unveiled samplers and minis, for the extra ‘nootropic-curious.’ Sustainability is also a model pillar, and subscription orders occur in compostable refill bags following the initially month. The tough glass jars also give a reusability factor, for storing an assortment of things.

As a participant in a ‘new normal’ of the health supplements class, No. 8 strives to emphasize how the nooptropic gummies can be integrated into one’s daily routines. “It’s about remaining informed of the more holistic approaches we can incorporate into our routines to aid make sure we are demonstrating up in our best gentle and showing up as our most effective selves.”

The holistic factor of the business is what inspires its information-loaded social media posts, centered on the overarching themes and notions of protecting a optimistic mindset, carrying out absent with restricting beliefs, and realizing to command what you can basically handle.

Among No. 8’s ‘surprise and delight’ components that strengthen these practices? The booklet that incorporates a 30-working day tracker and a journal-like part to jot down your intentions and targets, as properly as a desk calendar with affirmations.

“The booklet holds house for you to affirm in which you want to be at the end of the jar. It retains you accountable to environment affirmations,” Chan shares. “The hope is that at the finish of the thirty day period, you might be in a pretty various area and headspace — equally bodily and mentally.”

The prompt at the stop of the 30 working day-tracker is intended to appear back again on growth.

The jars them selves enable spark the delight in one’s day.

“Why not have a jar on your desk, primarily if you might be accomplishing super intensive work or seeking at spreadsheets all working day? Ideally No. 8 delivers some pleasure.”