Chamberlain Coffee

Design: Kontrapunkt
Location: Denmark
Project Type: Produced
Client: Chamberlain Coffee
Product Launch Location: Global
Packaging Contents: Coffee
Packaging Substrate / Materials: Paper
Printing Process: Digital printing

Kontrapunkt revitalises YouTube sensation Emma Chamberlain’s coffee brand

Capturing the casual, humorous, and colourful personality of Emma Chamberlain was at the very heart of rebranding her beloved LA-based D2C brand, Chamberlain Coffee.

One billion total views. 10.5M followers on Instagram. 10M subscribers on YouTube. She was named “most important YouTuber today” by The Atlantic and “most popular girl in the world” on the cover of Cosmopolitan. Fans call her style “relatable YouTube”, going against the stream of “plandids”. Emma makes viewers feel like a close friend or cool sister. Yet, her coffee brand, Chamberlain Coffee, didn’t feel Emma’ish. So, Kontrapunkt worked with Emma and her team on revitalising the coffee brand in a way that portrays Emma’s relatable spirit in a more vibrant brand universe.

Your relatable coffee brand
Targeting young millennials, Chamberlain Coffee is a brand that praises coffee lovers and believes that coffee is more than just a beverage. It is an attitude and a mood. It gives consumers honest and real coffee moments allowing them to connect with friends, feelings and memories. Originating from Emma’s personality, the brand universe is driven by a playful tone of voice and builds on four initial characters that represent characteristics we can all relate to.

Philip Linnemann, Creative Director at Kontrapunkt, explains about the project: “What makes Emma successful, is her honest and humorous personality. But like any other human being, Emma’s character is complex and contradictory. Some days she feels like being social, and some days she doesn’t. Just like the rest of us. So, we developed a number of Chamberlain Coffee brand characters. In their own way, they are an extension of Emma’s personality traits and represent something we can all relate to. Each character’s personality connects to different ways of drinking coffee. That is why they individually represent their own coffee flavour.

A universe based on relatable brand characters
Chamberlain Coffee states that coffee is more than a beverage. It’s a whole mood. So whether you are catching up with friends, stuck in the morning commute or pulling an all-nighter, Chamberlain Coffee got you covered.

The night owl
All-nighters encouraged. The notorious procrastinator and professional all-nighter. Nerdy and curious. Self-reflective and philosophical. Woke and wise.

Early bird
This one is for the early risers. The awkward overachiever. Championing the hamster wheel. Eyes on the prize. Always a little too busy. Passive-aggressive and over-enthusiastic. Scientifically proven to make you more productive, or whatever. Cheers!

Careless cat
This one is for those who just can’t rn (right now). The anti-social and sarcastically introverted. A solo rider. Can’t be bothered. Indifferent. Joy of missing out. Me time is prime time. Meow.

Social dog
The Social Dog is all about ‘sharing is caring’. Out and about. Forever FOMO. Intense and spontaneous. Jolly and naive. Happy go lucky. Time for a treat!

Totally Emma’s type
Kontrapunkt designed an unpretentious and approachable typeface, Wunderpunkt, oozing of good vibes. Straightforward, but with personal tweaks, soft and friendly corners. Just like Emma.

A sales-site that doesn’t feel salesy
The e-commerce website is playful and vibrant like the brand’s other touchpoints – spiced up with a fair bit of motion, making the online experience more surprising and dynamic. Here, each brand character and its distinct personality come to life. What better way to show that Chamberlain Coffee is busily preparing your order than with the enthusiastic, over-achieving bird?