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Whether standing over a machine groggily in your kitchen or waiting in line at a local cafe, we can all agree that coffee is what starts most people’s mornings.

Located near Los Angeles, this particularly alluring coffee roasters shares its rich history with the Smoky Hollow industrial district of El Segundo, California.

Today, the shop sits just three miles from the Los Angeles International Airport. It’s known for its chill duality: being a swanky cafe as well as the source of fragrant and freshly-roasted coffee beans.

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Role‍

Concept, Design, Production, Photography & Videography, Motion

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Duration‍

12 weeks.

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Credits

‍Strategy/ Jason Jacquot,

Copy & Voice/ Jennifer Merritt

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The commonality of coffee shops means that branding them is well-charted territory for designers, but branding a combination cafe and roastery known for its location and firmly-embedded heritage is perhaps a feat of its own.

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The first challenge in branding Smoky Hollow Coffee Roasters was defining its community and company role.

Smoky Hollow is known for its own internationally-sourced yet locally-roasted coffee beans in its cafe. With a unique identity that was wholly unknown to many residents of El Segundo, establishing brand recognition was integral.

With stakeholder interviews and numerous design sessions to go off of, crafting this brand became an adventure. I developed a strong branding approach to illustrate the boldness of Smoky Hollow’s rustic traditions. These included a website e-comerce redesign, logo design, typography, photography, CPG creation, social media content, and so much more. It was truly a rewarding experience — especially considering all the nitro cold-brew taps I now had access to.

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The end result? A fully-fleshed out brand that looks just as good as the coffee tastes.

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