Kona Coffee Purveyors

We relished the opportunity to help Kona Coffee Purveyors' tell their remarkable story in a nuanced way – incorporating the founder’s travels, heritage, philosophy and legacy into an impact identity system, packaging suite and direct-to-consumer website.

Kona Coffee Purveyors farms, roasts and serves their exceptional coffee "at origin" on Hawaii's Big Island. Most other coffee brands have to travel to far-off, distant lands to see their supply chain or source their beans – but Hawaii's distinct microclimate, volcanic soil and unique terroir lend itself to a near-perfect bean.

We worked with them not only to bring their offering to life on an ecommerce site, but also on the brand identity and packaging experience that references the brand's storied Hawaiian roots without relying on tired tropes like tiki torches and luaus.

Visit the Site

We are a merchant – a coffee merchant – like those found in Europe. Way back when, you'd go to a spice merchant and he'd help you choose the right spice. The same goes for bread, cheese and meat in the markets across Europe. Raymond Suiter, Founder of Kona Coffee Purveyors

Building a Brand

We focused on small choices that would convey quality. It was a central throughline to everything we did – even small touches like arrows, quantity selectors and tasting notes are given bespoke treatment.

Typography that hearkened to the past, a nod to the founder’s extensive travels throughout Europe, and the place he fell in love with coffee more than 30 years ago. The result is a logotype that feels reminiscent of the bistros and marchés that dot the European countryside, while retaining a sense of modernity and timelessness.

We looked to the terroir to derive inspiration for the packaging. Instead of relying on typical Hawaiian tropes and stereotypes, we abstracted the colors and moods of Oahu’s lush landscape, volcanic terrain and oceanic hues. The resulting packaging suite is something that feels distinct to Kona Coffee Purveyors unique position at origin and entirely unique amidst the specialty coffee landscape.

Seal of Approval

In addition to the wordmark, we worked with illustrator Nathan Holthus to create a secondary mark for enclosure stickers, cups and other brand touchpoints.

Hawaii is home to a number of species of honeycreeper birds; they have tremendous significance in the region both culturally and biologically. We combined this with a coffee plant – showcasing the coffee cherries that eventually become beautiful, vibrant flowers.

A perfect finishing touch to a brand that pays homage to these incredible islands.

Farm to (Kitchen) Table

The website was the opportunity to let the story unfold slowly – unifying the founder’s origin story, the craft and cultivation that goes into the farming and roasting process and the region’s distinct microclimate. We wanted to unify the desire to educate the consumer about what makes these beans and terroir special, while also bringing to life the richness and poetry of the story. What results is a website that invites customers to bring the taste of Hawaii home.

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