RARE BREED COFFEE
Fomenting a rebellion against the coffee bandwagon
A&E Coffee & Tea came to us with a challenge: How can we relaunch an artisanal coffee brand in a way that stands out from all the other artisanal coffee brands?
For over two decades, they’d carefully sourced and hand-roasted coffee, created tasty varieties, and served it all up in eco-friendly packaging. Yet, ‘quality’ is rarely a strong selling point, even for a passionate, independent brand in the Merrimack Valley of New Hampshire.
The world didn’t need another pretentious, handcrafted coffee brand. It needed a rebellion. A tectonic shift that rejected pretense and reminded coffee lovers about the ‘love’ part. A brand that gave them permission to actually enjoy coffee again.
That brand became Rare Breed. I wrote the creative strategy and positioning with a style and swagger that shaped every part of the company, from award-winning packaging and activation ideas to staff training and industry press.
For over two decades, they’d carefully sourced and hand-roasted coffee, created tasty varieties, and served it all up in eco-friendly packaging. Yet, ‘quality’ is rarely a strong selling point, even for a passionate, independent brand in the Merrimack Valley of New Hampshire.
The world didn’t need another pretentious, handcrafted coffee brand. It needed a rebellion. A tectonic shift that rejected pretense and reminded coffee lovers about the ‘love’ part. A brand that gave them permission to actually enjoy coffee again.
That brand became Rare Breed. I wrote the creative strategy and positioning with a style and swagger that shaped every part of the company, from award-winning packaging and activation ideas to staff training and industry press.
Our promise was unambiguous: The world keeps serving up bullshit, and we are the antidote.
It was a shot across the bow of a segment that took itself way too seriously—and the opening of a narrative that everyone could rally around:
Are you enjoying average? Eager to have another “consistent” experience? Hell no. Deep down, we know better is out there, and it’s a chance worth taking.
We’re obsessive and demanding in our pursuit of flavors you can feel. We want your coffee ritual to wake up parts you didn’t know you had. The kind of coffee that makes your heart thump and taste buds dance.
Stop settling. Get after it.
The rebrand successfully drove major commercial expansion, pushing the brand into nationwide grocery distribution and securing a rollout into over 130 Sprouts Farmers Market locations and all 270+ World Market locations.
⬅ VALLEY SUNS: HERE FOR THE FANS