Serving People Serving Coffee Since 2005
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knack for design, he understood the company needed a brand capable of keeping up with its growth momentum for years to come. Studio Mast agreed that the current brand design had segmented itself, creating an inconsisten- cy across Quills' packaging and merchandise, which inadvertently undermined brand rec- ognition. With Studio Mast's help, Nathan set out to create a consistent voice, avoid trends, and distinguish a unique brand design. For continuity and as a nod to the compa- ny's history, Nathan wanted the new design to stay close to the brand's original script, created by Tyler Deeb of Misc. Goods. Equal- ly important, Nathan hoped for a design less masculine and isolating than their current brand. The end result was a custom, modern calligraphy embracing both the timeless and classic aesthetics refl ected in the original brand. This unique combination of a "blacklet- ter" style and modern sharpness became the cornerstone of the new brand. In addition to the new script, now the letter Q stood on its own, an icon derived from the wordmark, capable of gaining its own brand recognition. Embracing the pre- vious brand's diverse elements, Studio Mast created a second unique mark with an industrial-inspired container shape and an actual quill. Overall, the result brought brand clarification and cohesiveness, while authentically representing Quills' identity. The Quills rebrand reached beyond graphic design. Nathan brought his leadership team together to articulate the business's core identity. The team enrolled in Donald Miller's extensive StoryBrand program, an online course that helps businesses tell the stories of their brands, using literary conventions in order to more closely connect with their consumers. "Overall we really benefi ted from the process," says Michael Butterworth, Quills' director of education. "It's easy to have an inferiority complex when compared to better-known brands in larger markets. How- ever, we'd like to tell the rest of the country, you trust Kentucky to make your whiskey, let us roast your coffee, too." From start to fi nish, Quills' rebrand took almost a year, but in the end, the investment proved well worth it. Quills has received nationwide attention, largely attributed to better brand recognition, distinguishable packaging, the launch of a new website, and continued wholesale growth. Affi rming the rebrand's success is the increase in retail sales for Quills and their wholesale custom- ers. Collective Espresso, a multiple \roaster café in Cincinnati, noticed the bump in sales of Quills shortly after the release of their new bags. With the rapid increase of new roasters on the specialty-coffee scene and the addition of beautiful café spaces, businesses every- where are learning that branding must be an extension of quality. To achieve success, a business needs a strong product to build their brand around. Ultimately, the goal is to start an ongoing conversation with consumers, not to attract one-time buyers with pretty new packaging. Lee Sill understands this well. Currently the director of wholesale at Quills, Lee previ- ously played a signifi cant role in the opening of Barista Parlor in Nashville, Tenn., and the launch of Prima Coffee in Louisville. "The merge of art and commerce combined with the gift of hospitality are integral parts of a business's brand experience," says Lee. GROWING OUT OF A BRAND Across the country, in Bozeman, Mont., Natalie Van Dusen was preparing for her own rebrand. While on a motorcycle trip across South America, she caught the coffee bug at a coffee farm in Colombia she stopped to visit. Natalie's shared passion for coffee and the mountains eventually landed her in Bozeman with plans to open her own café. Shortly thereafter, Little Red Wagon Coffee Roasters was born. As the company came into its own, how- ever, Natalie began to feel it had outgrown the brand. In addition, the discovery of potential trademark issues, the arrival of a PHOTO BY STACY TOWNSEND PHOTO BY CHACH HERNANDEZ PHOTO BY BRIAN BEYKE Nathan Quillo of Quills Coff ee Julia and Todd Mayor of Dune Coff ee Roasters Deejay Newell and Natalie Van Dusen of Treeline Coff ee Roasters 118 barista magazine