Kool Coffee
Bold brand strategy, identity, packaging and retail design for busy city coffee drinkers.
A confident, straight-talking identity built around self-expression, energy and a coffee that packs a punch
We brought Kool Coffee to life across packaging, environmental design and brand guidelines so every touchpoint tells the same story. In-store, the brand needed to hold its own in a shared Kool environment while still feeling like a distinct coffee offer. On pack, the language and look were designed to communicate quickly for commuters and city dwellers, with a bold, memorable presence that reflects the product’s punch.
Kool Coffee needed to establish clear coffee credentials under the Kool Smoothie umbrella, without feeling like a spin-off.
The brief
The challenge was balance. Give the brand space to be bold, characterful and expressive, while keeping enough shared cues to work in a shared retail environment. It also had to speak to commuters, office workers, students and city dwellers who want a friendly boost with no fuss.
The details
A confident, straight-talking identity built around self-expression, energy and a coffee that packs a punch
1. Positioning and tone
We defined the brand idea as coffee with an edge, crafted for the bold. The voice is quirky, playful and direct. No fluff. It says what it is and backs it up, designed for people who need something reliable when the day moves fast.
2. Distinct within the family
Working as a branding consultancy, we created deliberate distance from other Kool brands to give Kool Coffee its own room to breathe. At the same time, we kept familiar touchpoints so it still feels at home alongside Kool Smoothie in the environments it will live in.
3. Design system rollout
As a branding agency and branding company, we translated the strategy into a clear system that could travel, from packaging design to environmental design and practical brand guidelines. The aim was simple, make the brand recognisable at speed and memorable after the first sip.
The Identity
The identity is bold, characterful and expressive, built to mirror the strength and energy of the product. The visual language is confident and straight to the point, with a playful edge that supports self-expression. We produced a full set of brand guidelines to keep the system consistent across packaging and retail environments, while allowing enough flexibility for the brand to feel alive within the wider Kool Smoothie umbrella.
Built for busy routines, designed to read fast, and strong enough to stay top of mind. We brought Kool Coffee to life across packaging, environmental design and brand guidelines so every touchpoint tells the same story. In-store, the brand needed to hold its own in a shared Kool environment while still feeling like a distinct coffee offer. On pack, the language and look were designed to communicate quickly for commuters and city dwellers, with a bold, memorable presence that reflects the product’s punch.
Built for busy routines, designed to communicate in seconds, and memorable enough to stay top of mind long after first glance.
We brought Kool Coffee to life across packaging, environmental design and brand guidelines so every touchpoint tells the same story. In-store, the brand needed to hold its own in a shared Kool environment while still feeling like a distinct coffee offer. On pack, the language and look were designed to communicate quickly for commuters and city dwellers, with a bold, memorable presence that reflects the product’s punch.
The Results
A strong, recognisable coffee brand that feels part of Kool, but speaks in its own voice
Kool Coffee now has a clear positioning and a distinct personality, with the confidence to move beyond being an extension of another product line. The brand language is expressive and direct, built to connect with people who want a friendly, reliable boost without the theatrics.
The identity system was delivered across packaging design, retail environment design and brand guidelines, giving Kool Coffee a consistent presence across branded applications. The outcome is a bold, memorable look that supports recognition and interest from existing Kool customers, while helping attract new customers to the brand.
The work covered brand strategy, brand creation and retail design for Kool Coffee, developed to sit under the Kool Smoothie umbrella. Deliverables included a distinctive positioning, a complete visual identity, packaging design, environmental design and practical brand guidelines to support rollout. The system was designed to work in real-world retail settings where multiple Kool brands appear together, keeping shared cues where needed while protecting Kool Coffee’s individual expression.
DISCIPLINES
