Destress to Refresh. REFREZZ: Behind the Hollywood Hills Shoot

Photographer Stephen Lewis captures the dreamy, water-colored REFREZZ world in the Hollywood Hills

When Asahi Beverages America asked us to help launch REFREZZ™ – a postbiotic wellness soda created to help people unwind, feel refreshed and get a good night’s sleep – we knew the photography had to feel like more than a product shoot. It needed its own little universe.

We needed to start with the package design, which was created by Asahi’s team in Japan. Our job was then to build on that foundation and imagine a “REFREZZ world” – something cozy, dreamy and a little water-colored. It's where the REFREZZ benefits of relaxing, refreshing and easing into sleep are baked right into the imagery.

To bring that world to life, we joined up with Los Angeles/Santa Barbara-based photographer Stephen Lewis of SL Pictures. Stephen has an incredible eye for product and lifestyle work, and he and his team took on this project under anything-but-simple conditions.

We shot in the Hollywood Hills in the middle of an LA “winter” – which meant the light could not make up its mind. One minute it was soft, clouded-over calm; the next, bright, hard sunshine; then back again. And we were shooting indoors and out, including on the roof. For a photographer, that’s a moving target: constantly shifting exposures, shadows and reflections, especially with glossy cans, glassware and water splashes in the mix.

Stephen and his team didn’t just manage it; they made it feel intentional. They leaned into the variability of the day and turned it into part of the story: calm, hazy moments that feel like winding down…and brighter, sparkling moments that feel like that first refreshing sip.

We’re grateful to Stephen and his whole team who helped create this REFREZZ world, especially Murat Montero (first assistant) and Louise Moon (hair & makeup).

Check out some of the campaign on Stephen’s portfolio page here.