Eight Years Early: How No Ugly Bet on a Category Before It Existed

Most founders worry about being too late. Aaron Taylor had the opposite problem.

Eight years ago, when he launched No Ugly, functional beverages in New Zealand were still largely the domain of early adopters. Consumers weren’t talking about gut health. Electrolytes weren’t part of everyday conversations. Protein drinks were something you found in gyms, not on supermarket end-caps.

Today, that has changed dramatically. No Ugly has carved out a leadership position in one of New Zealand’s fastest-growing beverage categories, and what was once a challenger brand is now a name retailers and consumers both recognise.

The latest chapter in that story is Salty, the brand’s dedicated electrolyte range, now ranged throughout the Foodstuffs network and gaining strong traction with consumers.

Aaron Taylor, in store with the No Ugly range.

Seven years of building before the market caught up

“We were really early,” says Aaron Taylor, founder of No Ugly. “We spent about seven years in that early adopter space before the category finally moved into the early majority.”

The early adopter phase of any category is a test of conviction. You can see where consumer behaviour is heading. You can see the opportunity. The difficult part is staying the course while the rest of the market catches up.

“We’ve been a little bit like magpies,” Aaron says. “We see something shiny and new, we get after it, and we expect everybody else to think the same thing. But it takes them forever to catch up.”

For No Ugly, those years included everything most founders experience. Rapid growth, unexpected setbacks, changing market conditions and the disruption of Covid. Through it all, the core purpose remained the same. Helping people say no to all the ugly that life throws at them.

Cutting through the wellness noise

The consumer insight behind No Ugly was remarkably simple. Health and wellness shouldn’t feel overwhelming.

“Imagine you’re standing at the end of the supplements aisle,” Aaron says. “Your partner says, ‘You’ve got to sort out your health. Get this, this, this and this.’ And you look down the aisle and just go: I don’t know where to start. It’s overwhelming.”

Rather than asking consumers to navigate a maze of supplements, powders and competing advice, No Ugly focused on delivering functional benefits through a format people already understood. A drink.

“We’re trying to make it really simple and easy for people,” Aaron says.

No Ugly’s range now spans multiple need states, from energy and focus through to calm, sleep, gut health and hydration. While many brands focus on a single function, No Ugly intentionally built a portfolio that reflects how people actually live.

No Ugly brings family into the mix, with Aaron's mum, dad and daughter in product photo-shoots.

Why functional beverages are booming in New Zealand

While No Ugly may have been early, Aaron believes the broader trend was inevitable. Consumers increasingly want products that do more than simply taste good or contain less sugar. They want products that actively support how they feel, perform and recover.

“People are wanting more than just no sugar,” Aaron says. “They’re wanting actual functional benefits.”

That shift is driving significant growth in functional beverages both in New Zealand and internationally. It is also behind Salty, No Ugly’s dedicated electrolyte range, which represents something bigger than a product launch. It is another sign that consumers are actively seeking products that support their wellbeing in practical, everyday ways. The category has arrived.

New Zealand as a test bed for innovation

Aaron’s perspective extends well beyond his own brand. He is passionate about New Zealand’s role as an innovation nation and believes local founders have a unique opportunity to create products that can compete globally.

“New Zealand has respected governance and great integrity. What’s on the tin is in the tin. We can test things here relatively inexpensively before taking them to the world,” Aaron says.

“We can feed somewhere between 55 and 60 million people from what we grow. We live here as five million. The maths makes the case. We have to take products to the world. And there’s no point selling commodity.”

Why the right partnerships matter

Building an innovative brand is one challenge. Building a route to market is another.

As grocery and retail channels have become increasingly centralised, navigating the path from product idea to supermarket shelf has become more complex than ever. For Aaron, that is where the right partnerships make a significant difference.

“What good distribution partners do is believe in it,” Aaron says. “They believe in the story, the founders, the people. They’ve got shared values, and they’re slick professionals who feed information back so we can act on it. It’s a two-way street. You’ve got to invest in their success as much as your own.”

That philosophy aligns closely with the way William Aitken & Co (WAC) approaches the brands it represents. B Corp™ certified in 2025 and built on more than 80 years of New Zealand FMCG relationships, WAC works selectively with brand owners who share its commitment to long-term, values-led partnerships.

The team’s role is to champion brands, helping founders navigate the realities of the New Zealand market while remaining focused on what they do best. WAC previously supported No Ugly through its successful transition from glass bottles to slimline cans, helping position the brand for its next stage of growth.

“One of the things we see often is founders trying to force growth before the market is ready,” says Rachel Murrell, Managing Director and owner at WAC.

“Aaron never did that. He kept investing in the brand, educating consumers and refining the proposition. That’s much harder than chasing short-term wins, but it’s also why No Ugly is so well positioned today.”

For Aaron, the value of focus is clear.

“If you want to be an innovative, consumer-oriented company that’s good at marketing and creating great products, then do that. Stick to that,” he says.

“The grocery space is its own language, its own jargon, its own way of operating. Having a distribution partner who lives in it, and knows it deeply, is critical.”

A note for the founders watching

Aaron is particularly passionate about helping other founders avoid some of the challenges he experienced. His advice is especially relevant for brands looking to break into New Zealand grocery today.

“The centralisation of grocery has made it harder for startup brands,” Aaron says. “The days when you could get into a few stores in Auckland, gather some data, build a story and pitch from there are gone. Everything goes through head office now, and you get categorised into ranging tiers. So finding a distribution partner who understands those dynamics and that nuance is really critical.”

His advice is simple. Don’t assume you need to be a certain size before bringing in support. Find a partner that is right for where you are now, and where you’re trying to go.

Salty strengthens No Ugly's position in functional beverages

That instinct to spot opportunities early continues to drive No Ugly forward. Salty, the brand’s dedicated electrolyte range, is now ranged throughout the Foodstuffs network.

What sets Salty apart starts in the formula:

• Five electrolytes (most competitors use three or four): Sodium, potassium, chloride, magnesium and calcium.

• Balanced sodium dose: Set deliberately below the high-dose sachet formulations that can actually slow absorption.

• Isotonic formula: Designed to match the body’s sweat profile for fast absorption.

• 500ml can format: Built for everyday occasions, on the go.

The early commercial signals are strong. Salty is already supplying the New Zealand Warriors and Auckland FC at Mt Smart Stadium, where it is holding its own against significantly better-resourced competitors. Beyond Salty, the innovation pipeline remains full, with new flavours, sachet formats and further product development already underway.

“The brands we love working with combine genuine innovation with a clear understanding of their customer,” says Rachel. “Aaron and the No Ugly team have done that consistently for years. Salty is simply the latest proof point.”

Salty is available also at Mt Smart Stadium, Auckland.

Looking ahead

With eight years of category leadership behind it and a growing innovation pipeline ahead, No Ugly is well positioned for its biggest chapter yet. Salty is gaining momentum. New formats and flavours are on the way. And Aaron is showing no sign of slowing down.

“Positive energy creates a positive outcome,” Aaron says. “You can feel that with WAC. It’s very apparent.”

Categories rarely change overnight. The brands that ultimately lead them are the ones still standing when the market finally turns up. No Ugly spent seven years building before the market arrived. Now it is leading.

About No Ugly Founded in 2017, No Ugly is a New Zealand functional beverage brand built on the principle of saying no to all the ugly that life throws at you. Its growing range includes hydration, energy, focus, sleep and wellness products designed to support modern lifestyles.

About the author:

Rachel Murrell is the Managing Director of William Aitken & Co. With over 20 years of experience in the FMCG industry, she works closely with brand owners to grow their presence across New Zealand’s major retailers.