Coffee first. Everything else second.
CHALLENGE
A Bay Area institution since 1966, Peet's had built an intensely loyal following around one thing: exceptional coffee. But after more than a decade with little change to the brand, its expression no longer reflected the innovative, modern and premium company Peet's had become.
As Creative Director, I helped lead the creative evolution of this beloved heritage brand, translating its legacy and coffee-first ethos into a contemporary expression for a new generation of consumers. My role extended across brand identity, packaging, campaigns, photography, digital, cafés and the broader customer experience.
MY ROLE
CREATIVE DIRECTOR, PEET’S
SCOPE
BRAND REFRESH:
- BRAND STRATEGY
- BRAND IDENTITY
- CREATIVE DIRECTION
- CAMPAIGNS
- PACKAGING
- PHOTOGRAPHY
- DIGITAL
- RETAIL EXPERIENCE
CREDITS
INTERNAL: CREATIVE SERVICES
AGENCY PARTNER: CHARACTER
PHOTOGRAPHER: NOEL BARNHURST
PROP STYLIST: GLENN JENKINS
FOOD STYLIST: ROBYN VALARIK
BRAND IDENTITY REFRESH
Heritage preserved. Brand modernized.
BEFORE
AFTER
BEFORE
➞
AFTER
BRAND STORYTELLING
DESIGN STRATEGY
Build from the equity Peet’s already owned rather than reinventing it.
We amplified the brand’s most distinctive assets, including Peet’s brown and its coffee-first heritage, while creating a more contemporary, premium visual system across retail and packaged coffee.
For CPG, we strengthened brand recognition and shelf impact while creating a clearer system for navigating coffee varieties, origins and flavor profiles.
NEW SIGNATURE LOOK
As Creative Director, part of my role was to evolve and elevate the brand, drive brand consistency across all channels throughout the company, work with agency partners on brand initiatives, lead an internal creative team, approve all creative, and act as gatekeeper of the brand. During this time I defined and created a new signature look & feel for Peet’s with an update to the brand photography, typography, color palette, and visual language that could be maintained throughout all seasonal creative and across all channels in both digital and print. Here are a few examples...
PROJECT
BRAND REFRESH
CREDITS
INTERNAL:
CREATIVE SERVICES
PHOTOGRAPHY
BEFORE – VARIOUS
AFTER – NOEL BARNHURST
BEFORE
AFTER
ART DIRECTION – Defining a new photographic language
CASE STUDY
50TH ANNIVERSARY CAMPAIGN
Challenge: Peet’s was hitting an exciting milestone in the history of its existence: 50 years. We wanted to celebrate and highlight Peet’s passion and commitment to the craft of coffee, the roasters, employees, and to its loyal Peetniks in ways that showed pride and gratitude.
Solution: To honor our 50th anniversary, we focused on Alfred Peet’s dedication to his craft as the originator of the craft coffee movement and highlighted what we have held true for the past 50 years. We joined forces with an external agency to create a brand campaign that we leveraged and expanded upon throughout the year. A visual design system, graphic elements, and art direction of all photography were done internally.
PROJECT
BRAND CAMPAIGN
CREDITS
AGENCY PARTNER:
CUTWATER
INTERNAL
CREATIVE SERVICES
PHOTOGRAPHY
NOEL BARNHURST
