Peet’s Coffee
Peet’s is a long standing heritage company that recently has been updating its appearance to help bring it into a new age after celebrating 50 years in 2016. Established in 1966, Peet’s has spread quality coffee on an international scale with a promise to craft the perfect cup wherever you are. Now with an ever growing market, Peet’s is looking for ways to stand out amongst the rest while still retaining their dedication to craft and the people that bring it to life.
The Task
Peet’s has taken a step back over the past few years and assessed what they need as a company to prosper. This included reducing the number of stores that weren’t profitable as well as pairing down the menus. This in turn made Peet’s take a harder look at their audience as well as how and who they wanted to reach.
I was tasked with creating a community outreach marketing campaign for the Pacific Mountain Region (Oregon & Washington) to raise awareness of Peet’s locations to their surrounding areas. This campaign included coupons, mailers, a catering brochure, and coffee donation signage.
The Problem Solving
I worked closely with the district manager of the region to clearly define what was needed and what aesthetic would fit. Peet’s branding was in a state of flux while I was working on this project. Having had multiple brand updates the past couple of years, Peet’s was undergoing its largest rebrand in recent history. The rebrand was still in development and only a small amount of it has been rolled out in recent seasonal promotions. I had the pleasure of discussing the new brand with the head of branding and was able to get a bit more of an idea around what the rebrand encompassed.
I based my own designs around what information I had gained to not only provide a more updated and user friendly experience, but to also extend the usability of the campaign.
The Solution
Through 4 rounds of iterations I created designs for multiple coupons, mailers, brochures, and donation signage. In the final round the district lead and I decided upon 4 coupon designs, 1 mailer, 1 catering brochure, and 1 coffee donation sign to go to print. Other designs were kept as backups and alternatives in case of future reprints.
Coupons
There were no QR codes for the rest of the coupons so I supplemented by creating a redemption guide for employees to redeem the coupons through the register. I adjusted the backs slightly in the QR codes absence, but strove for homogeneity overall.
We stuck to a safer color palette utilizing dark browns, muted golden yellows, dirty oranges, and rusty reds. The new brand colors are more focused on earthy tones and I pulled these ones together based on what is currently being used on the Peet’s website.
The coupons were the deliverable we focused on the most as we assumed that they would be the most effective in getting customers into the stores.
Peet’s marketing focuses heavily on having a direct conversation with the consumer so it was important to include that trait. I chose to put a witty saying on the back of the coupon in order for the fronts to remain more minimal and better align with new brand standards. The blank boxes are for store stamps so that we can track which store is having the most success drawing in new customers.
Mailer
Another company goal is to fulfill the role of the neighborhood coffee shop so to work towards this goal we decided to make a mailer. There are many apartments, condos, and suburban areas near many of the stores in this region so it would be advantageous to raise awareness of their existence to residents.
Something that we wanted to swing into this was promoting the app without only promoting the app. It’s a company wide goal to drive traffic to the app and in a world of bustle we tried to promote convenience in the copy of this mailer.
Brochure
This brochure promotes Peet’s catering options in an accessible and encompassing manner. The copy describes the variety and flexibility that Peet’s catering options offer. We withheld pricing information to accommodate regional variations and maintain long-term relevance amidst anticipated price updates. Instead, we encouraged customers to connect directly with their nearest Peet’s location for inquiries. The brochure also includes a subtle nod to the app, encouraging digital engagement.
Donation Signage
Created to accompany community coffee and tea donations, this sign helps Peet’s show up with intention and generosity to local events. The design communicates that the beverages are a complimentary gift from Peet’s. It offers a customizable line that allows participating stores to handwrite their locations adding a personal touch. With the sign Peet’s is communicating its commitment to community, making it easy for recipients to recognize and appreciate the brand’s support with the hope that they may come visit a location in the future.
Thanks for Looking!
This project rolled out for store use mid fall of 2024. Peet’s was going into its busiest time of the year so we did not begin to see implementation until late winter/early spring of 2025. Feedback has been positive and a lot of stores are benefiting from having resources to pull from when trying to reach out to their community. Most recently the materials were used to promote the Redmond store at an event celebrating the grand opening of a new light rail station. The station is just down the road from the store. This event saw over 5,000 people and helped us spread the word of great coffee to new commuters.