Project Highlight: Bulletproof Coffee Rebrand

Bulletproof Coffee is just a quick walk from WNW HQ’s Venice office and a high-speed sprint back. The stuff packs the kind of kickback that sometimes makes us wonder if it’s technically street legal. The name fits.

So does its design rebrand, which commenced late last year and was lead by WNW Member Ethan Keller, head of Seattle-based Emblem Studios. The whole point of Bulletproof Coffee is to give you the goods so you can power through the day and stay hyper alert, hyper effective, and for some of us also just plain hyper. A cup of Bulletproof Coffee includes grass fed butter and brain octane oil. Yum. Keller and Emblem Studios have captured the efficiency and scientific research that Bulletproof sells with a clean and technical upgrade. The dove from the old logo (pictured below) has evolved with a monochromatic iteration, and the condensed font has been retained, albeit with some necessary improvements. The hexagon pattern featured on the cups and packaging drives home the idea that Bulletproof uses science.

Emphasizing the color orange in this redesign is particularly a home run for Emblem. According to this site which addresses color theory, “Orange represents enthusiasm, fascination, happiness, creativity, determination, attraction, success, encouragement, and stimulation. To the human eye, orange is a very hot color, so it gives the sensation of heat... Orange increases oxygen supply to the brain, produces an invigorating effect, and stimulates mental activity. It is highly accepted among young people. As a citrus color, orange is associated with healthy food and stimulates appetite… In heraldry, orange is symbolic of strength and endurance. Orange has very high visibility, so you can use it to catch attention and highlight the most important elements of your design.” Intelligent design advice, Color-Wheel-Pro.com You could essentially replace “orange” with “Bulletproof coffee” in the description above, and capture everything the company touts.

Bulletproof's new visual identity stands apart from that of other coffee brands in its boldness and intensity. Which is exactly what Bulletproof is aiming to do. Does your company need a new logo or complete rebrand? Ethan Keller is Available.

MEET #1491 KELSEY DAKE

Illustrator • Phoenix, AZ

WNW Member #1491 Kelsey Dake is a rockstar illustrator. She's an ADC Young Gun and was named one of Print Magazine's Top 20 Under 30 in 2012 . Her work is always exciting, often shining a critical and hilarious spotlight on current affairs and national spectacles. You can see Kelsey's work in the likes of The New York Times, Nike, GQ, Variety, Ad Age, The Atlantic, Converse, and Businessweek. We interviewed Kelsey to find out what she does when Not Working: "Roadtrips! Antiques! Food! Yeah, I’m basically a retiree." Kelsey also sends a blunt reminder to fellow freelancers: "I try to limit my time in the studio between certain weekday hours. I try my hardest to not work weekends. You need to stay balanced otherwise you get burnt out and make shit work."

Follow Kelsey on WNW

1. How long have you been freelancing?

I’ve been a full-time freelancer for basically 5 years now.

2. Is there a time or place that you feel most creative/have the best ideas?

Oh man, yeah, first thing in the morning. I like to turn off everything that makes sound, and sit with a cup of coffee while I think. Or the shower, that’s a solid place for brainstorming. (TMI?)

3. What's your ideal Working:Not Working ratio?

To be a freelancer, especially one who works from home, you need to have healthy work hours. I try to limit my time in the studio between certain weekday hours. I try my hardest to not work weekends. You need to stay balanced otherwise you get burnt out and make shit work.

4. Do your parents understand what you do?

My dad is self-employed, so he has always gotten that side of what I do. My mom came and helped me paint some murals for a Beck/Sonos thing, and on the second night of painting she had a meltdown and asked how I do this all the time; she’s gotten what I do really well ever since.