NEW ZEALAND – “This Is Coffee” Artist Series takeaway cups

For most, takeaway coffee cups are considered nothing more than a throw away item. However, for Coffee Supreme, the fleeting lifespan of disposable cups has not deterred them from making their takeaway cups into something of far greater value than just the cups’ utility and convenience.
In the spirit of Coffee Supreme’s previous editions of Artist Series cups, (previously featuring tattoo and folk-lo-re inspired designs), the award winning specialty coffee roaster has once again taken an unconventional ap-proach to the opportunity of “branding” their takeaway cups. For their latest series of cups they’ve tackled the design less like a corporate marketing exercise and more as an artist would approach a blank canvas, armed with the question “what story do I have to tell?”
Working with the incredible talent of Wellington illustrator Kieran Rynhart, Coffee Supreme has created a series of six uniquely illustrated takeaway cups that pay homage to the story of coffee. The narrative of the series, titled ‘This Is Coffee’, featuring bright colours and exotic animal characters, follows the journey of a bag of Su-preme coffee, first in the form of freshly picked cherry at the point of origin, to the coffee’s final destination in cups found in cafés around Australasia.
Kieran works both traditionally and digitally, successfully combining the two with his knack for storytelling to achieve his distinctive style. Selected as one of Luerzers Archive best 200 illustrators for 2010/2011, Kieran uses the medium of animation to communicate earnestly without hiding imperfections.
Inspired by the works of Richard Scarry and Frank Soltesz, the ‘This Is Coffee’ project sought to create some-thing that would not only be beautiful, but would also inform coffee drinkers about the hard work put in by the many hands along the coffee supply chain.
“Our Artist Series cups have always been a breath of fresh air to the coffee industry. With charming and humor-ous illustrations, we hope our new takeaway cups continue to create smiles with their informative designs and bold use of colour, and that coffee fans everywhere can enjoy the irreverent yet subtle nods to coffee culture clichés”, says Al Keating, Managing Director for Coffee Supreme.
The ‘This Is Coffee’ double-walled cup series will be available from Coffee Supreme-supplied cafés in Australia and New Zealand from late November 2014. The cups, manufactured and printed in New Zealand by Huhtamaki, utilise a “double-walled” design that insulates hot beverages and protects the drinkers hand from temperature extremes.