Since 1995, The Coffee Roaster (TCR) has been keeping the city of Lincoln caffeinated with their unique, air-roasted beans that minimize bitterness and maximize flavor. They were the first to bring this highly scientific roasting process to Lincoln over two decades ago, and have been a revered staple here ever since.
Shortly after founder Gary Karnes passed the business down to his daughter Sam Karnes and her husband Vince Ruhl, they came to us in need of some new T-shirt and package designs that were as fresh as their coffee beans.
“One of the reasons we continue to work with Agency 877 is because of their prompt communication with us about projects,” they said. “The quality of work is always superb, and if changes are ever needed, they are quick to get those turned around and back to us.”
With their trust in our hands, we set to work giving their current brand a more organic, handmade feel through custom lettering, art and packaging design.
The Coffee Roaster has used a hot air balloon graphic to represent their air-roasted beans since day one, but they wanted to create a variant of the classic to spice up their branded products and signage. The end result was different, but not so different that it would clash with the look they’d been using for years.
877 redrew their original balloon artwork to give it more character and keep it consistent with the new hand lettering. Our goal was to make it feel more “small-batch”. We think we effectively captured that vision. Something as simple as revamping a few designs led to an increase of interest toward their products. Someone on Instagram even said they were already loyal to another coffee company, but would give The Coffee Roaster’s beans a try because of their new look.
“We receive countless compliments on this new logo!” TCR said. Our collaboration with The Coffee Roaster had just as much of a positive effect on us as it did them. TCR gave us the freedom to showcase 877’s abilities, which led to more momentum and creativity. We knew The Coffee Roaster didn’t want to follow the cookie-cutter industry trends, and as a result, we gave them a truly custom, unique and eye-catching solution. We were also motivated to work with The Coffee Roaster because of their desire to give back. Their Lift-Off fundraising program allows organizations to sell The Coffee Roaster coffee and keep a percentage of the proceeds. We designed informational print resources for this program, as well, because it always feels good to help a business that cares about its community.
We believe when good people and companies work together for good reasons, good things happen. Our efforts to provide low-cost solutions for community-driven businesses has allowed us to give back to those already doing so.