Although there was nothing wrong with our old take-away cups, we had just finished our existing print run and rather than commit to another 200K, I felt the time was right to freshen things up. Also worth considering was the transatlantic carbon footprint our former US-made cups left behind. It just seemed to make sense to look at a new cup design.
I have never underestimated the importance of the take-away cup. Apart from serving as a simple vessel to hold our ‘bread and butter’ product, the paper cup is literally the first tangible product most of our customers get a hold of. I would even say that the take-away cup serves to define how the customer sees themselves and wants to be seen.
Granted, the take-away cup is disposable and not likely to ever be washed, re-used or cherished, but I felt this was a great opportunity for us to redefine our take-away experience.
My design brief was simple. Create a unique take-away cup that not only reflects the quality of our coffee, but one that our customers will enjoy both the look and feel of. I wanted a cup that further embraced (and maybe enhance) the sensory experience; one that the customer was proud to hang on to for as long as there was coffee in the cup.
Superstar designer, Oran Day, blew me away with his initial ideas – even though he admitted that he had no idea if was what he was proposing was possible given the reluctance of previous cup manufacturers to think outside the box / cup. Thankfully, in stepped Terry Fox, from Cupprint, a new cup manufacturer based here in Ireland. He was certainly challenged, but more than willing to entertain Oran’s rather complex and unconventional ideas.
Several months and prototypes later (and a lot of behind the scenes calculations, frustrations and protestations), both Oran and Terry have delivered a paper cup that totally exceeded my expectations – it’s both lovely to look at and to hold… and maybe the coffee even tastes that bit better. The customer feedback has been great and Coffee Angel has what I feel is one of the best looking take-away cups in the world. Thanks guys!
…. And the word on the street is that your new take away cup is up for a design award! I love the embossing, a traditional artistic skill reinvented here for something as humble as a take away cup ! Well done and good luck.
Thanks Brock. We haven’t won anything yet, but in the event we do – I’m taking all the credit
In all seriousness, my designer, Oran Day, and Terry at Cupprint deserve the kudos for taking my absurd brief and making it real.