Launching a sustainable brand from the ground up
The g2 Coffee Brand Launch
When a passionate musician and coffee lover grew weary of stale commercial coffee offerings, he decided to launch his own brand. The goal – create a coffee product that was always sold within 48 hours of harvesting, made by growers that had dedicated their lives to sustainable farming practices, and supported local growers and communities. The vibe was modern, compelling and satisfied sustainable packaging goals– whew!– we were in!
Our challenge
From naming to development of the visual identity, logo, packaging, tone-of-voice and brand story content for the e-comm launch, we were tasked with developing an inviting brand experience that conveyed both a passion for coffee and sustainability – while offering a little splash of delight.
Our solution
Working with the founder, we created a brand story – digitally and through their product packaging– that was fresh, natural and authentic. Natural craft color paired with soft pastels for social, and clear simple visuals and a rich ethical back-story online, built a foundation on which g2 could deliver on their desire to benefit both the source and to their consumers.
Having a well-defined color palette is a hallmark of most great brands. But in the world of coffee it goes well past the form of the brand and way into the function. One of the most relied upon methods of overcoming these hurdles is through the use of color. It communicates faster than text and can be seen a few feet from the shelf.
The approach of most roasters is to pick a new color whenever a new bean comes in. To separate G2 from the masses, we suggested choosing a single brand color that clearly communicates the sustainable aspect and amplifies the natural essence of the product.
Identity and Sustainable Packaging Development
When it came to identity and packaging, they needed to be clean, recognizable, sustainable and most of all, simple. The uber simplicity of the identity speaks to the purity of the product. The bold graphic patterns allowed for g2 to uniquely differentiate their coffees from one another and played into the organic spirit of the brand. The look is modern, yet natural.
For a safe, and recyclable, alternative to plastic and metalized films, ProAmpac’s Monomaterial PE and Tipa’s plant-based films were used for both coffee bags and snack bar wrappers to create food protective barriers while decomposing like organic material in landfills.
Explore Options for High-Barrier Paper:
Peel Plastic “Think Green”: Recyclable pouches
Ground Packaging: Biodegradable pouches
Explore Options for BioPlasics:
TIPA Compostable Packaging: Bio Plastics
Sulapac: Plastic Alternatives
Website design
Social graphics
Key Insights
Research shows that with every generation, sustainability and products that are ethically produced are becoming further embedded in purchase decisions. It’s incredibly important that retailers and brands continue to follow the desires of their customers.
With Generation Z on track to becoming the largest generation of consumers this year, retailers and brands must start supercharging sustainability practices now if they are to keep pace with consumer expectations that all brands need to be eco-friendly to win their business.