Dark Horse Coffee Company was founded on grit and perseverance, built to motivate and inspire the iron-willed workers who rise before the sun. This is a brand that encapsulates the robust flavor and raw power of caffeine in order to revolutionize the coffee game for blue collar professionals. With bold ruggedness Dark Horse provides direction and motivation for those who really want to make the extra mile count, from the first responders and armed forces to the teachers and farmers. This is a brand crafted to give the unsung American Heroes the surge of energy needed to make a decisive impact on their day.

Dark Horse Coffee Company wanted to create a bold and galvanizing brand devoted to inspiring others, to defy expectations and forge their own path. Our client, Jeremy, wanted to motivate people from the very moment they woke up in the morning, giving them the boost they needed to take decisive action. Nothing was truly set in stone and they could always make an impact. Through the awakening vigor of coffee, Dark Horse wanted to shift perceptions for blue collar Americans and help them achieve their goals.

The result is a brand that resonates with those that rise in the dark. The unseen. The unacknowledged. The ones that find strength before the sun rises. We tapped into an earthy, masculine color palette that links to the strong sensory cues of coffee as well as more subtly to rugged natural elements and blue collar working environments. The logo, inspired by the knight chess piece, is a bold representation of power, strength, and agility. The custom draw badges were specifically geared towards the target market’s resonance with pride in their labor, pride in their country and a stamp of belonging to an indomitable subculture, one that even the dusty laser-red eyes of the logo knows doesn’t always walk the easiest path. Overall, Dark Horse Coffee is a rallying cry, one that challenges the crafty hipster coffee brands, the perfect fit for a brand that knows their clients to their bones.

Project Team:

Dain

Jared

A dark, gritty and refined look was the driving force for Dark Horse. The chess piece signals conquering your challenges for the 4am blue collar worker doing red-eye shifts.

This is a brand that encapsulates the robust flavor and raw power of caffeine. The blocky packaging and textural backgrounds showcase this strong theme.