Revitalizing the design system of the world’s most iconic coffee brand

Nescafé – the greatest and most valuable Nestlé brand, a pioneer in instant coffee for over 80 years, realized the changes happening in coffee consumption. It understood that the desire for an experience is now just as or even more important than the desire for flavor, and performing its leading spot and know-how, it decided to position itself in face of that new reality.

We were chosen to help on Nescafé’s strategic repositioning and developement of a new global identity system for the brand.

Sharing moments

Along with the marketing team, we understood that the new visual system should turn to the multiple possibilities that Nescafé has to offer: an accessible brand open to everyone, which reminds us that beyond the pleasure of palate, there is a whole world of experiences that can be flavored around a cup of coffee. That’s how “Tudo começa com um Nescafé” (“Everything starts with a Nescafé”), the motto that defines the new positioning of the brand was born: an attitude of sharing moments, gatherings and talks.

Such evolution is deeply strategic to Nescafé, for it allows the brand to adopt a masterbrand vision, instead of a product approach only. And this new vision materializes through all brand’s touch point. By doing that, we developed a new visual and graphical concept that starts from redesigning the brand through a contemporary iconographic system to be expressed across all touch points.

Easy-to-get symbols

The new identity system was based in three complementary symbols that impulses the expression of Nescafé world. Immediately recognizable all around the world, these symbols provides flexibility in its use and allows the brand to be daily present in consumers’ lives.

The first element is the classic red mug, the symbol of a long and positive association with Nescafé. Previously attached to Classic or Original varieties, it was updated and became an icon to be used in its wide range of touch points with consumers.

The second element is the accent in the word “Nescafé”, which takes off strongly and gets red. That way, it founds its room in the logotype, which allows the brand to better express its care and gentleness while symbolizing the inspiration that the brand seeks to bring to consumers.

Finally, and the third identity element is the mug’s core, a simplified top-down vision that works like a window to the Nescafé world, a place for expressing the brand’s stories and emotions.

The new graphic system, supported by global guidelines, has been progressively implemented all over the brand, including packaging, selling point materials and the brand’s overall communication, affecting all Nescafé product lines globally.

“We live in a globalized world and realized we needed a more unified and powerful approach for a brand such as Nescafé – which holds a unique personality, although it can be expressed in a different way in each country.” – Patrice Bulla, Marketing Director for Nestlé.