It Is What It Is
This is a spec coffee brand idea I would love to make one day (If you are a coffee roaster, feel free to reach out!).
While coffee brands traditionally orient heavily around morning positivity, ultra-comfort, and zen-like peacefulness, this brand acknowledges that not every morning is a good morning and not every day is a good day. That’s just how things are sometimes, and no coffee brand can help that.
Instead of focusing on the often unattainable positivity coffee brands promise, we zag by taking an authentic approach, giving people permission to be how it is. Because sometimes, not always, but sometimes, the best thing you can say is “it is what it is”. And that’s the moment we’re here for.
Currently on the market
What most Coffee Brands Pretend the world is like
Slow mornings. Sunlight through the window. A fresh start. Calm, quiet, in control. You wake up early, ease into the day, everything in its place. Stay positive. Set your mindset. If you put your mind to it, you can do anything. Coffee will fuel all this for you.
The Human truth
What most people's worlds are really like
You wake up tired. You’re late. Your phone’s at 12%. Something already went wrong. It’s messy, rushed. Not a fresh start, just a continuation. You deal with what’s in front of you and keep going because there’s nothing else you can do about it. Might as well ride this out with some coffee.
Key Takeaway
While most coffee brands promise to improve your life, there’s an opportunity for one that simply helps you deal with it through acknowledgment and dry humor. This gives us the name “It Is What It Is”.
Visual Identity
Primary Logo
Condensed Logo
Horizontal Logo (limited use)
Typefaces
Bio Sans, Bold
Roboto Mono, Medium
Colors
Textures & Patterns
Package Design
Campaign
Merch
Give people the tools to express themselves
Is is being a negative person? Not necessarily, just realistic.
Relatable Social Content
Be honest on social media and say the quiet parts out loud
We’re not showing people smiling, nobody is cheers’ing, and there’s no sunrise on the beach. Instead, we’re calling out the misrepresentation of our day to day.
Surprise & Delight
Capture people exactly during those "It is what it is" moments
Delayed trains and flights, DMV visits, parking tickets. These are moments to empathize with people and perhaps make their day 2% better. We’ll do this by acknowledge the situation and offer them free coffee. Not because it’ll make it go away, but because you might as well ride it out with some coffee.
