Case study · Media brand & YouTube show

Zen with Ben

A transformation coach who delivers real wisdom with a Southern drawl and a straight face. The brand had to make people laugh and take him seriously at the same time.

Client: Ben Zepplin
Industry: Coaching & media
Channels: YouTube, web, social
Scope: Brand identity, website, YouTube show, merch

Zen with Ben website on a desktop, tablet, phone and laptop, with the headline Transform Your Suck Into Success

The challenge

Self-help is crowded with calm voices and soft colors. Ben Zepplin is neither. His content mixes Eastern philosophy, comedy, and Southern swagger.

A polished, serene brand would have buried the very thing that makes him worth watching.

The approach

Lean all the way in. A brush-stroke ensō and Japanese characters for the Eastern side, distressed type and burnt orange for the Southern side, and headlines with zero apology: Transform your suck into success.

Beyond the identity, I concepted the YouTube show, designed the set, wrote the scripts, and directed the episodes.

LogoAn ensō brush circle where Eastern wisdom meets distressed Southern type.

Zen with Ben website pages for the show, shop, community and email list — WebsitePages for the show, the shop, the community and the email list, each with a headline that earns a laugh.

Ben Zepplin pointing at the camera behind a play button — YouTube showConcepted, scripted, designed and directed. Watch the trailer

Zen with Ben mobile pages fanned out above a phone — MobileThe same voice, sized for the phone.

SocialQuote cards that mix Krishnamurti and Tolle with Ben’s own one-liners.

MerchShirts that do the talking.

Zen with Ben beer can on raked sand — MerchA beer can for the full Eastern-wisdom, Southern-kick-ass experience.

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