Douwe Egberts

Design Bridge in partnership with D.E MASTER BLENDERS 1753 brings back the unique heritage of Douwe Egberts brand.
Douwe Egberts pack relaunches in The Netherlands

International brand design agency, Design Bridge, is the new global design partner of D.E MASTER BLENDERS 1753. As a first result of the new collaboration Design Bridge has helped the D.E brand to rediscover its true personality, leading to a full redesign of its packaging portfolio. The result will enable the brand to better reconnect with the Dutch market.

An exciting first brand challenge
D.E MASTER BLENDERS 1753 challenged Design Bridge with the task of “Bringing Back” the distinctive assets of the Douwe Egberts brand, based on the defined brand meaning ensuring a common understanding and coherent brand language could be applied across the entire brand portfolio. Among these areas, packaging played a significant role in how the brand was perceived. After all, the pack is the face of Douwe Egberts, confirming its truth and true personality.

A respectful solution from Design Bridge, re-claiming brand identity
Having explored the archives, a cross functional project team got to work, uncovering the true meaning of the brand and were able to craft design assets which consumers had always associated with Douwe Egberts; the white shaped top of the pack, coffee leaves, crafted typography of the brand-mark with its typical ‘lowercase e’. These all play a vital role in capturing the warmth and authenticity of the brands true meaning.

The most significant of all was the return to prominence of the Frisian Lady at the heart of the pack, evoking strong memories of home, togetherness and the aroma of coffee. The challenge of the brief was to be authentic, yet not become a nostalgic window into the past. Douwe Egberts is, after all, a timeless brand that is still today synonymous with Dutch family rituals.

Craft and detail matter
It is not every day that you are able to work on a brand that holds such huge resonance for the Dutch. Every detail was crafted to perfection as befits such an iconic symbol of more than 260 years of heritage. To illustrate the ‘Frisian Lady’ Design Bridge commissioned an artist to craft a linocut. This traditional printing technic captures the truth of the brand, adding a level of handmade detail not often seen in supermarket brands.

“This was never a task to simply look back, but to make the past relevant for today and understand the truth at the heart of the brand. We want this to be enduring and relevant for years to come and for Douwe Egberts to position and presence on shelf, as well as in the hearts and homes of The Netherlands.” Claire Parker, Creative Director Design Bridge

“We are extremely proud of the new face of the Douwe Egberts brand in the Netherlands. This has been the result of a very successful collaboration with Design Bridge. The timelines were tight yet the whole process felt like a well-oiled train. A complete design relaunch based on our rich past to support a brighter future.” Eric Bouter, Marketing Manager Douwe Egberts NL