Fox Coffee

Let’s be real, the height of coffee culture can be a wanky place. Top coffee is often synonymous with exclusivity — feeling like a pretentious club cloaked in the aroma of mystery, where noses rival bloodhounds, coffee cherries are ranked by altitude inches and latte art debates reach Sistine Chapel levels.

But that’s not Fox Coffee.

The team at Fox takes their role in our everyday lives pretty seriously. They expertly roast and blend coffees that are, quite simply, delicious. But they don’t get hung up on the pomp or hipster jargon that often comes hand-in-hand with good coffee. Because, really who needs it? Instead, they flip elitist coffee culture on its perfectly-coiffed head and serve up damn good coffee that simply hits the spot. Whether you’re a curious newbie or a seasoned sipper, Fox brings a fun, friendly and frolicsome flavour to coffee, using the spirit of camaraderie to bring people together.

Scope

So, why the rebrand?

In the bustling world of coffee, Fox Coffee, a local roaster with over 54 years of combined experience in the industry, found themselves at a crossroads. Known for their exceptional service and quality coffee, they were a beloved brand, yet they felt the need for a brand overhaul to better reflect their identity and values. They knew who they were, but were struggling to express it. That’s when they reached out to us.

Fox Coffee had built their business on the paramount importance of the customer experience. They prided themselves on their determination to deliver at every touch point of the brand, going above and beyond as the norm. They had a deep understanding of their customers’ and wholesalers needs and were always ready to adapt and improve. They wanted to be perceived as credible, honouring their talented team and the damn good coffee they serve up each day, but they needed to remain humble, low-key and connected to their customers in a way that felt real.

Our task was clear: to create a brand that was confident, bold, and inspiring, but unpretentious, humble and positively lovable. A true reflection of its owners. Fox Coffee more than anything wanted a brand that would make anyone feel like they belong with simple mottos: ‘simple brews without the pomp’.

The brand in the making

With a family approach that genuinely prioritises service, community and relationships as much as the coffee they roast and brew, Fox needed a brand overhaul that felt innately human.

Our team at Smack Bang, took the ethos that Fox pours into every single cup, and started our design journey. Our design decisions were driven by the desire to reflect Fox Coffee’s unique blend of warmth, wit, confidence, and fun.

We built a brand world where customers would discover the goods for themselves, rather than shouting their qualities from the rooftops.

A voice of their own

Orchestrating the brand strategy and Fox tone of voice was an exercise in humanising. We didn’t just provide simplification, we crafted a brand experience and tone that made Fox more relatable, more accessible, more humble and more lovable.

Differentiating Fox from competitors in the upper world of good coffee, meant doing away with any inclination to wax poetic about bean origins like it’s a fine wine tasting, or the profound philosophies of froth. Our strategic approach and language design steered clear of intimidating jargon and championed straightforward copy that heroes the joy of a damn good cup of coffee.When Fox speaks, it’s through an iconic humanist tone that prioritises fun, conversation and connection in a punchy, bold and often cheeky way.

The repositioning shows that Fox are a part of our customers’ everyday and we want it to stay that way. Our language design ensure the Fox community feel like they belong because no matter how they take their morning brew, they do.

The end result

Our branding for Fox Coffee is a true homage to the idea of democratising coffee culture. Vibrant, bold, and unapologetically down-to-earth, we’ve brewed up a brand that’s here to change the game.

So, whether you’re an early riser, a late-night coder, or simply a “don’t-talk-to-me-until-I’ve-had-my-coffee” kind of person, Fox Coffee is coffee that speaks to you.