Anise Coffee — logo, identity and packaging design for a local coffee roaster
Anise Coffee — logo, identity and packaging design for a local coffee roaster
People judge by appearances, and coffee buyers more than most. Coffee Roastery Group in Tashkent roasts its own coffee beans. The product is strong, but on the shelf it stands next to Julius Meinl and Italian brands that shoppers have known for years. The client came to us with a clear goal: local coffee should look not like a substitute for imports, but like their equal.
1. Problem and Task
As a benchmark, the client brought packs they respected: Cataleya's dark bags and the red Julius Meinl. We needed to:
- create a logo for the Anise Coffee brand;
- design packaging for 1 kg of whole-bean coffee;
- build a system that could extend to capsules, tins, cups and business cards.
2. Research
We studied the premium coffee shelf. Almost every strong brand speaks the same language: a dark background, one accent colour and very few words. Local producers, by contrast, often put everything on the pack at once: photos, badges and too much copy.
Our key insight: a premium coffee buyer isn't choosing beans, they're choosing confidence. The pack has to look as if this coffee has long been served in the best cafés. So we couldn't break the category code; we had to stand out through details.
3. Solution
Logo. A calligraphic “a” written in a single stroke, like a barista's signature on a cup. Beneath it sits a strict serif ANISE COFFEE. The monogram also works on its own: on a cup lid, a capsule, or a social media avatar.
Exploring the look. We showed the client several directions:
- warm: terracotta, burgundy and a hand-drawn ornament of coffee branches;
- “starry”: a stylised star anise flower that echoes the brand name;
- geometric: a pattern of coffee icons (a croissant, a cup, “24/07”) in blue, red and matte black.
Final packaging. The client chose the most restrained and most premium option:
- A matte black bag with a fine linear texture of coffee branches and beans. It only shows in the light, like embossing on fine paper.
- A vertical red band carries the logo, the blend and the roast level. A linear gradient makes the band look dense, like fabric.
- The side gusset is fully red, with a large “TOP CLASS” and a round emblem. Even when the bag stands sideways, the brand doesn't get lost.
- Copy in three languages (Uzbek, Russian and English) carries the brand promise: “unique coffee starts with quality roasting”.
Adaptation. Later, we turned the design into a self-adhesive label: a 130 × 270 mm front and a 110 × 180 mm back. The client can now apply it to standard bags instead of ordering printed film for every batch. We also designed business cards in the same system.
Result
Anise Coffee got more than a beautiful bag: it got a whole system, with a monogram, brand colours and packaging that comfortably shares a shelf with European brands. The self-adhesive version gives the business flexibility, since one design system works for large print runs and small batches alike.
Anise Coffee: a local roast in a world-class suit.
If it's time for your product to look the part, get in touch with Minim.
