Señor John: Cold Brewing a Specialty Coffee Brand

Coffee Cold Brew john Madre Consulting nicaragua tetrapack farmer natural Packaging

STRATEGY. CREATIVITY. DESIGN. PACKAGING. COMMUNICATIONS.

Determined to introduce themselves into the rapidly growing and highly competitive cold-brew coffee category in the United States, Castellón Coffee Group partnered with MADRE to brew a powerful brand strategy.

Authentic and recognizable, we built the brand around its origin, history, and leader: a sustainability-committed, third-generation coffee farmer named John. As a result, the brand became the first finished cold-brew drink sold in the U.S. to be grown, roasted, and brewed by its growers.

The Origin Story-telling.

With over a century of family legacy, producing, processing, and sorting the best coffee beans in Nicaragua, in 2019, John Castellón took his family business to a new era by cold-brewing their specialty coffee right at the origin. This vertically integrated process sets them apart, with John himself overseeing every aspect, from seedling to hand-picking, roasting, brewing, and packaging.

Equipped with this deep understanding, we developed a strategy under the Big Idea: 'Famer-grown, farmer-brewed,' focusing on the unique experience of enjoying a specialty coffee brewed at origin by its growers. Authenticity was very crucial; we didn't drift away from his story. John and his family are coffee farmers with daring dreams, and that's the beauty of it. Who better than them, who live for coffee, to provide traceable, ethical, sustainable, and delicious coffee?

The Name is John, Señor John.

For the name, it was essential to make a point about pride in origin. So we crafted a name that told the story of John and his family and spoke to his Latino heritage. This might seem irrelevant, but it actually is a solid differentiator from coffee brands cold-brewed in the US.

'Señor John' has a friendly, nickname-like angle, and it is easy and catchy for an international crowd.

A Memorable Silhouette.

The symbol, based on the silhouette of John himself, provides a memorable brand asset for shelf recognition. But, more than that, it reinforces the message of the farmer persona behind all aspects of the coffee making process, not only John but all coffee farmers.

"Madre helped us discover precisely who we are as a brand. Thanks to their insightful branding process, we now look and feel the part, and that has played a significant role in us being picked up for national distribution by a major supermarket chain in the US".

John Castellón,
CEO, Castellón Coffee Group