Heine Bros

Heine Brothers’ Coffee has been a Louisville staple since first opening their doors in 1994. Since then, they have grown to 18 locations and take pride in being a 100% fair trade and organic coffee roaster.

Brand refinement Package Design Environmental design Vehicle wrap

A person wearing a green jacket over a plaid shirt holds a Heine Brothers coffee cup with both hands. The cup has a decorative black-and-white pattern and a black lid. The persons nails are painted black.

THE CHALLENGE

Growing Louisville’s original local coffee roaster

The Heine Brothers’ leadership faced a variety of challenges: absorbing another local coffee shop brand, turning around underperforming stores, and defending their position as the original Louisville coffee roaster as more and more local shops emerged. Their original logo, while serving them well in the beginning, had become outdated and its detail made it difficult to reproduce.

A Heine Bros van decorated with black and white illustrations and the text Heine Bros Organic Fair Trade Coffee is parked on a city street in front of a glass building.

THE APPROACH

The seed-to-cup story

We immersed ourselves in Heine Brothers’ business by serving as baristas (or performing coffee ballet as we now describe it), working in the roastery, chatting with customers, and making visits to competing shops. Heine Brothers’ is far more than just coffee, they are a home away from home for many patrons. A place to spend time connecting with others or enjoying a few precious moments alone. Time at Heine Brothers’, even via the drive-thru, should leave each customer happier than when they arrived.

Rather than invest in a media-focused campaign, we recognized the best advertisement was carried by the customer every day: the cup. Coffee cups are a flag of loyalty put up by customers no matter what the brand. It’s a stamp of approval and a mini-billboard traveling to meetings, offices, and weekend soccer games. The attention moved to updating the brand identity, redesigning the cup, and key brand assets to visually tell the seed-to-cup story that makes Heine Brothers’ special.

A neon sign with the words NOW BREWING glows above a steaming coffee cup design. The sign is displayed in a window with reflections of trees and power lines visible.

A white Ford van with “Heine Bros. Organic Fair Trade Coffee” and black artistic graphics on its side is parked on a city street in front of tall buildings.

THE RESULTS

Standing the test of time

Our process guided leadership and brought clarity to their business direction. Years later the reimagined brand continues to build brand equity and recognition, with their signature cup serving as a flag across the city. The initial project expanded into van designs, and a variety of campaigns that brought lines out the door for grand openings. New locations were profitable within the first week rather than the 90-day turn around seen with prior openings.

A brick building with a red tile roof houses Heine Brothers Coffee, visible through large windows, surrounded by greenery and outdoor seating on a sunny day.

Line drawing featuring Louisville landmarks, a hot air balloon, bicyclist, horse and rider, trailer, riverboat, and steam, with “Heine Bros. Louisville’s Coffee Since 1994” and a steaming coffee cup at the bottom.

A woman with brown hair tied back, wearing a black shirt, stands behind a coffee machine in a café, holding a portafilter and looking off to the side with a thoughtful expression.

A nighttime view of a cozy café with large windows, showing people sitting at tables inside. Outdoor tables and chairs are empty, illuminated by streetlights and neon signs, with shelves and decor visible through the windows.

Awards

American Advertising Federation (AAF) Addys Gold: Van Wrap American Advertising Federation (AAF) Addys 5th District Gold: Van Wrap American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA) Award