This Coffee Pays Tribute To The Origins of Its Beans

Creative Platform created the packaging and branding for SoCo Roasters, a coffee brand that pays tribute to the Zambian origins of its coffee beans.

"The SoCo Roasters brand was developed to represent a ‘society of coffee’. A group of people building a community around unique, specialty coffee.

In this highly competitive coffee market it was important that SoCo Roasters brand stood out in a bold way but remained clean and simple enough to fit into specialty cafe surroundings."

"We wanted a clean, fresh palette that was easily recognisable with a strong logo. The star, combined with the SoCo acronym and illustrations linking back to the Zambian origins, represent the simplicity of the idea; supporting Zambian coffee producers and delivering great coffee to our customers.

The illustrations share the local folklore of how coffee was introduced to the area. 'The unofficial story of coffee in Zambia, is that a British explorer crashed his plane in Zambia and was nursed back to health by a local nurse. They fell in love and he ended up staying, started a coffee farm, and never left.'"

"'There are some really strong community projects on the ground in Zambia. An 800-student school and medical clinic were built for the local community in the last few years, and the farmers we buy from have employed the first female tractor drivers in Zambia,' says Steven Commerford, Marketing Manager at SoCo Roasters."

“'There are not many opportunities for women to work in Zambia. They’re often left at home to take care of the family, and that’s their only option. This project allows the women to gain agricultural knowledge, be hands on in the producing process, and build their skillsets.

By using a Zambian coffee as the basis of its Society house blend, SoCo Roasters is able to contribute to those who provide its coffee.

As well as an opportunity to contribute to the local coffee producing community, working with FTA Coffee in Zambia has provided SoCo with access to unique and exceptional coffees.'"