In an indirect way the story of the coffee belt had to be told. No stereotypes but iconic animals that people immediately recognise, but do not necessarily link to the world of coffee. That’s where it becomes exciting. What is the relation between coffee and the animal? Curiosity has been created.

To emphasize the purity/naturalness of this concept we deliberately choose a black canvas base. The bright side of life has been represented by the colourful animals. The animals communicate power. The power of the taste of coffee.

Every packaging has its own little story about the natural habitat of the animal, related to the natural habitat of the coffee beans. The unique illustrations, the technique of using various fine lines, make the animals come to life. There is a relation with the illustration style and tribal art. That is no coincidence, this is an indirect way of anchoring and legitimising the way of illustrating the animals.

The impact is enormously strong. Due to the fact that every product has its own little story the products are more impactful and memorable. The shelf impact is very strong due to the bright and optimistic colours and the non-conformistic design.

By taking the risk of choosing a non-conformistic style, by breaking the design rules, set up by A-brands, Albert Heijn has won sympathy and brand recognition has increased in this small sub-category. We accepted the challenge!