Level Ground Coffee

Since 1997, coffee lovers buy from the BC-based coffee roaster because they fuse Direct Trade principles with high-quality specialty beans to create a coffee-making and coffee-drinking experience that anyone can enjoy. As early adopters of FairTrade, they made their name known for showcasing the farmers and producers of their coffee.

The company needed to shift their brand to align with their coffee. In the brand strategy phase, we came to the insight that for many specialty coffee is inaccessible: too snobby, too pricey, and too complex. The brand promise then was to have “Everyone on Level Ground,” making premium coffee fully available.

We sought to create memorable packaging that captured Level Ground’s warm and fun personality while communicating accessibility in what is a crowded category. We created a vibrant and distinct colour scheme to differentiate each coffee offering. While many “Third Wave” coffees use illustrations as their visual anchor, we wanted to create characters that told a story based on Level Ground’s single-origin and blended coffee origin countries. These characters are both delivering coffee and telling a story about what Level Ground offers.

And as a hand reaches for the coffee — It’s. Just. About. There…

The romance copy then reassures the customer that Level Ground wouldn’t let this premium coffee skate or trot or fly past them. The end result of the pursuit is fantastic coffee. Flavour notes and coffee tips educate and elevate the coffee-drinking experience. No fanchy-schmany coffee contraptions are needed – but it’s always welcomed.

To highlight premiumness, we created an elegant custom wordmark and a new descriptor for Level Ground Coffee Roasters. It brings together their experience and expertise in a way that is welcoming and open.

Together, the characters, the colours, and the copy created a warm and engaging story about what happens when you arrive on Level Ground: Great Coffee is Now Within Reach.

Team Credits

Agency: Crew Marketing
CCO: Gerald Schoenhoff
Creative Director: Daniel Ryu
Senior Designer: Morgan Hueston
Writer: Mike Plunkett
Account Manager: Jessica McCullough
Project Manager: Chelsea Prest
Photography: Greg Beck
Art Direction: Courtney Thompson
Illustration: Kira Lodder
Production Designer: Cliff Borromeo