Recover Regimen
With so many craft products capturing market share in the beer category, Miller High Life felt the time was right for bold change. Taking a product to the next level with incremental product improvements can only go so far, so the High Life brand decided to up the ante in a different way. Some consumers were confused by a beer calling itself “The Champagne of Beer”,” notes Seth Holcomb, head of research for the iconic brand. “We determined that by delivering literally on that promise, we could finally align reality with a claim we’ve been making for years. It was a huge investment in our operational infrastructure, but the result is a product that finally makes sense.”
We’ve cracked the code on Millennials: They love causes, they love value, and they love tacos. That insight led to a remarkably simple strategy culminating in an incredibly effective brand we named “Dollar Taco.” It’s an accessible brand with an ironic wink, and Millennials are literally eating it up. With an innovative supply chain and a distribution channel second to none, Dollar Taco is slaying hunger one dollar at a time. “Cue nailed the look and feel with an authenticity that speaks to the culture,” says Melissa Shank, Brand Manager. “Process Yellow isn’t a color just any brand can own, but by complimenting it with black, we got to something very proprietary.” The look and feel may scream value, but appetites aged 22 to 27 are saying “Mmm.”
Innovation in food science has led to the development of some incredible products this side of the new millennium. Made possible by these advancements are a variety of foods remarkably similar in taste to their real counterparts. Capitalizing on this feat of modern chemical manipulation comes a line of some pretty, dare we say, “unbelievable” products. “Can You Believe?” is the brand mantra (and namesake) for this franchise branded with essential product feature icons. This brand is leading the consumer packaged goods world, empowering consumers with information about food. Will they believe? We’re pretty sure they probably will.
Whether heading up to the cabin or down to the shore to relax, Caribou Coffee Lakeshore Blend celebrates the ritual of the summer escape. The warm summer months are a much-anticipated break from winter, and getting away to your summertime happy place is a great way to create special memories with family or friends. We created Lakeshore Blend as the ideal coffee to take along.
Every year, Caribou pays tribute to Amy Erickson, the company’s original roastmaster who lost her battle with breast cancer over 20 years ago. Since that time, Caribou Coffee has honored her memory with a special blend of coffee, Amy’s Blend, that raises money in support of CancerCare.org.
Cue designed an icon intended to live perpetually, in memory of Amy and as commitment to “Doing Good With Coffee,” part of the company’s commitment to the communities it serves. The extended system helped to streamline the program by defining “the give” and creating a respectful tribute to Amy in every Caribou store.
We live in an era of social media where everything is shared, and successful work often leads to formulaic repetition. When projects of similar types become too familiar to others’ execution rather than from unique insight, the work (and thinly veiled strategy) becomes predictable. As an April Fools promotion, we created a series of faux work pages that parody different aspects of the branding industry and posted them on the designcue.com home page. Included are explorations involving conventional clichés, stereotypes, and cheeky formulaic execution, all in the spirit of fun.