Calming caffeine
At the other end of the spectrum, coffee is finding its quieter side, repositioning from energy-spiking stimulant to ritual of restoration and calm. Be it through a reduction in caffeine content, the infusion of ingredients like CBD or calming theanine create the joy of coffee without the jitters. It is in this space that innovative brands are flipping expectations to define new relevance for caffeine.
Positioned as an antidote to the new normal of anxiety and stress, Seattle-based start-up Wunderground Coffee infuses its beans with adaptogenic mushrooms to deliver ‘focus-boosting, gut-soothing, nerve-calming coffee’. Each product contains a tailored combination of mushrooms to bring calm amid the chaos, delivering brain power and immune defence in a pastel-coloured package of joy. Taking a naive, illustrative approach, the brand positions coffee in a world of imagination and play.
Meditative rituals
A ‘love it or hate it’ of sorts, instant coffee can certainly put some of the most passionate caffeine lovers off the mere idea of consuming their favourite drink. The controversial reputation seems to derive from a variety of reasons, spanning simply bad taste through to highly processed beans. But in today’s society, the maxim ‘time equals money’ has never been truer. And, as a result, portable products are increasingly popular with on-the-go-consumers who value, above all, convenience.
Convenience however doesn't need to come at the sacrifice of experience or taste. Blue Bottle, whose majority is owned by Nestlé, has recently debuted an instant espresso range that promises the experience of premium drinks anywhere, without the need for pricey machines or brewing expertise. Rather than having to venture out to a coffee shop for a daily taste of flat whites, Blue Bottle’s consumers can indulge in heavenly iced or hot coffee by following the company's guides; a series of advanced brewing techniques that encourage mindfulness.
A fresh approach
The concept of ‘wellness’ has expanded beyond its roots in physical exercise to encompass a more holistic definition of health. The opportunity for coffee is similarly expansive: by tapping into moments, emotions and experiences that define a more conscious way of living well, coffee can reinvent itself again and again. Could a coffee brand become the face of fitness? Could a shot of coffee stave off a winter cold? Could coffee become the thing that helps you to sleep?
The brands that succeed in this dynamic space will be sharply innovative, consumer-centric and creatively brave. The opportunity for disruptive design lies wide open as the persona of coffee expands, but more importantly, understanding how people’s lifestyles are changing – and how innovation can anticipate that change – is worth percolating.
Ashleigh Steinhobel is strategy director at FutureBrand.
