Daioni: Brewing up a storm

1st August 2018

Coffee means different things to different people. To some, it’s the opportunity to meet a friend or colleague, and catch up over a hot drink and cake. To others, it’s a helping hand that gets you out bed and makes the irritations of the morning rush just a little bit more bearable. But would you consider coffee to be an artisanal foodstuff? A complex, consumable plant-derived product where the subtleties of flavour, variety and growing region can be appreciated? Whilst these may sound like the qualities of a fine wine or chocolate, that is exactly how the third wave coffee movement regard the brew. And as followers seek flavour, smoothness and less acidity, it was no surprise that we were soon approached by a brand looking to expand into the “cold brew” market.

Our work with Daioni began in 2016, when they approached us for help in evolving their existing brand. The family-run dairy business from West Wales was a leading producer of premium quality, organic products, and wanted help in strengthening their organic credentials. Our brand implementation programme, featuring a new brand mark and packaging redesign, accurately reflected their quality and ‘organic credentials’, as well as their friendly, honest, positive and hard-working values. Earlier this year, Daioni approached us again, this time for assistance with an entirely new product range. Seeing the renewed interest in the coffee category, the brand decided to bring their premium-quality organic dairy products to the third-wave coffee movement and create a range of cold-brew coffees. They wanted a brand that had a strong shelf impact in a rapidly expanding arena and was able to develop for future product range evolution.

We customised a script-font to give it a more relaxed vibe, which when combined with the brush strokes and illustrations alluded to the smoother mouthfeel and reputation of cold-brew coffee. The incorporated sash in the middle of the pack can change colour according to flavour, and provides room for the range to expand whilst maintaining a strong, artisanal image. This was offset against a dark, rich brown to better communicate the coffee brew, alongside a foil print effect to suggest freshness and make an impact on the shelf. Whilst the cold brew coffee range packaging is in contrast to original Daioni Organic products, through thorough brand implementation, the brand retains its premium quality image, as well as demonstrates its ability to bring this quality into other markets.

Projects involving brands with a strong reputation and a desire to diversify into other markets can be some of the most exciting. Daioni Organic’s range had strong, positive values that would’ve worked well in any market and their decision to diversify into one that is currently expanding created a wealth of design opportunities. Crafting fonts and illustrations was not only an enjoyable part of the process, but allowed us to create the perfect level of balance and impact for the range. The product works for everyone, from those catching up to those waking up to those who just want to appreciate the complexities of good coffee.