Seven Hills Coffee

It all started with a logo refresh. 20 years ago, a student led the design of the original Seven Hills Coffee logo, and they knew from the jump they wanted a student to lead this redesign, too. Lucky for us, that made them the perfect collaborator to join our LaunchPad program. But what began as a clear cut exercise quickly evolved as the team at Seven Hills Coffee asked: How can we update our brand while still being recognizable to our existing customers? How can we be more sustainable? How can the exterior of our packaging reflect the quality of the beans inside? How can we mature from being well-known locally as a wholesaler to being our own brand that entices and stands out on the shelf?

Our goals were clear:

1. Stay recognizable. Loyal customers need to recognize the brand, and the motif of Cincinnati's seven iconic hills, combined with the existing color palette are important, ownable assets.

2. Strong shelf presence. Quite simply, what'll make a customer reach out & pick Seven Hills over another option on the shelf?

3. Longstanding, clean design. Be current, understand the trends, but ultimately integrate a classic, clean design that will remain eye-catching and relevant for years to come.

We started where we always do - with a whole lot of research. We identified what makes Seven Hills Coffee special, honing in on their roasting techniques and intimate understanding of sustainability in the coffee category. Next, we spent time researching other local brands (along with a few national ones) to better understand how an updated logo and packaging could be recognizable but unique. We looked at label types, coffee bag styles, print styles - can we elevate a classic brown coffee bag with a high-end cardstock label? Or is there a full, custom-print bag that stays sustainable?

And then we iterated. We started with a fresh logo, maintaining the iconic seven hills of Cincinnati, alongside their brand colors and imagery to stay recognizable for existing customers while pushing a cleaner, friendlier feel to entice new consumers and stand out in the retail environment. We created a customized bag and label solution that remains 60% compostable by weight, maintaining the Seven Hills sustainability mission.

Through research, iteration, and an intimate understanding of Seven Hills Coffee’s deep Cincinnati roots, we were able to deliver a customized logo and sophisticated, updated packaging for their retail coffees.