In the last few years there has been a population explosion of boutique coffee brands in Australia. Yes, the market has expanded greatly. Australian consumers have grown up in their coffee tastes. Coffee – the category – is at the spearhead of sustainable and socially responsible foods and drinks. And coffee has ventured outside its traditional boundaries and established a thriving colony in wholefoods/health and fitness. But compete to survive is a dominant theme of this crowded market nonetheless.
Packaging and branding companies are reaping the benefits of that.
Boutique brands tend not to be shackled by long lists of design requisites. And a hot market tends to make these smaller guys brave.
Paul Bassett is a former World Champion Barista. His coffee is an expression of his own personal taste in coffee, and conveying that “personal touch’ to the market was top of mind for the Squad Ink’s creative directors, Matthew Squadrito, Terry Squadrito, when they were given the job of rebuilding the brand.
“It portrays his journey of creative expression and the continuation of his relationship with coffee, capturing the imagination and potential of quality espresso. Our challenge is to ensure that the brand confidently represents Paul Bassett and his unique approach to producing quality coffee whilst creating a highly marketable product with strong retail appeal,” Squad Ink explained.
“…so we consulted with him closely to discover that his open mindfulness allows him to continue to explore coffee’s sensory possibilities through technical refinement.”
The first decision that Squad Ink’s brand strategist, Meg Kerwick, and its creative directors made was to change the brand name from Paul Bassett to Bassett Espresso. Its logo was created next, with a classic typeface that allows it to be commanding with a nod to tradition.
Then came the packaging.
“With any retail product, stand out is critical. Our aim was to create a coffee brand that was elevated and ‘timeless’ in comparison to its competitors. While competitors opted to follow trend, focusing on a central sustainable coffee sourcing message and earthy palette, Bassett's message is focused around flavour and quality, and the aesthetic is bold in contrast with the use of a fresh pale grey and dark navy blue palette. This was just one design decision that supported our strategy to challenge existing coffee branding,” Squad Ink explained.
“From the onset we identified the need to elevate the brand through packaging. In addition to a sound design execution, the production and materials needed to challenge the category norm. We achieved this with help from our packaging supplier by experimenting with a plastic lined foil material and an adjusted gusset depth to best achieve our intended coffee bag shape; tall yet robust in appearance. Even after much handling the bag maintains its shape with a crinkle free appearance. Additionally, we applied a matt finish to the outside of the bag that complements the solid soft grey print – together creating a refined finish that exudes confidence, durability and appears perfectly proportioned.”
A key branding element in the packaging design is the custom pattern, which was devised from a European tessellated tile pattern. “The graphic seamlessly aligns art and geometry, symbolising Paul’s approach to coffee as both creative and technical.”
The resulting packaging was a finalist in the 2014 Sydney Design Awards in Graphic Design – Three Dimensional.
And the new packaging did its job of increasing interest in the brand: “Bassett Espresso has received an incredible market response with many venues stocking product not only for its quality, but its strong graphic presence. Also the design of the Bassett cups enables venues to offer a stylised alternative to plainly packaged takeaway cups. With Bassett focusing on urban venues, the cup is a powerful brand signifier in areas with high foot traffic.”
Photography: Janyon Photography
