Dark Arts Coffee Reboots with Joyful Nihilism
A New Visual Identity
Dark Arts Coffee, a brand known for its quirky personality, has released a new visual identity to commemorate its 10th anniversary. The concept, "Joyful Nihilism," reimagines the brand’s look and feel, blending its playful edge with a more refined aesthetic.
A Shift in Direction
As the brand’s tone of voice has evolved over the years, its original visual identity, which featured occult and devil iconography, no longer resonated with its audience. "This jarred with how they started, when their signature edge came from the use of occult visuals and themes, now, it was more from their tone of voice, which was irreverent and playful, with a healthy dose of cynicism, far removed from their original visual identity," said Justin Hallström, creative director at NOT Wieden+Kennedy, the agency behind the new design.
A New Packaging
The new packaging, designed by NOT Wieden+Kennedy, takes inspiration from the concept of "Joyful Nihilism," featuring a refined color palette, refreshed iconography, and a bold typeface. "The solution was a simple typographic approach that let their tone of voice shine through. Using the typeface Cooper Black felt natural. Inspired by its use in 70s biker t-shirts, it became the perfect vehicle to capture their irreverent tone of voice," said Justin.
A Key Testing Ground
The new packaging was a key testing ground for the new brand, allowing Dark Arts Coffee to express itself through a constant stream of artwork on the collectible cards. "The idea of cards became the perfect solution. It allowed them to express themselves through an ever-evolving approach to artwork. They also served a very practical need, allowing customers to keep the cards with coffee information on provenance and tasting notes – important for coffee connoisseurs. Further to that, it allowed them to tap into the fandom of the brand; with merch drops consistently selling out, it gave their fans a new way to engage with the brand, and embrace collectability – gotta catch ’em all!" said Justin.
A Balancing Act
When asked what was most challenging about the creative process, Justin said, "It was definitely striking the balance between doing something new, but not losing their personality and alienating their existing fan base, as they are a brand with a very loyal following. And at the same time, we needed to balance introducing more consistency whilst being sure not to put a ‘creative straight jacket’ around their eclectic personality."
The Future of Dark Arts Coffee
Looking ahead, Justin added, "While we have set up the foundations for the next era of Dark Arts, we’re genuinely excited to see what they do with the new brand and the constant stream of new packaging artworks. There’s already talk of a book to collect your cards in… which would be epic."
FAQs
Q: What is the concept behind Dark Arts Coffee’s new visual identity?
A: The concept is "Joyful Nihilism," which blends the brand’s playful personality with a more refined aesthetic.
Q: Why did Dark Arts Coffee change its visual identity?
A: The brand’s original visual identity, which featured occult and devil iconography, no longer resonated with its audience.
Q: What is the inspiration behind the new packaging?
A: The new packaging takes inspiration from the concept of "Joyful Nihilism," featuring a refined color palette, refreshed iconography, and a bold typeface.
Q: How does the new packaging reflect the brand’s tone of voice?
A: The new packaging uses the typeface Cooper Black, which is inspired by its use in 70s biker t-shirts, to capture the brand’s irreverent tone of voice.
