Grounded

Overview 🔎

The purpose of this thesis project was to overhaul the outdated and out-of-touch company, Folgers, to reignite its core principles while attracting a wider, more age-diverse audience. Most notably, the name changes from Folgers toGROUNDEDbecause it represents more than just the ground that the coffee comes from—or the grounds of the coffee—but that the company is grounded in its commitment to quality, craft, and care, both for the consumer and the earth.

Problem & Solution 🤝

I chose Folgers Coffee for several reasons… it has been an iconic coffee brand since 1850, coffee is a staple of the American diet, and I couldn’t help but think of Folgers as “my grandparents' coffee brand.” I am not alone in this either. I conducted an expert interview with Micheal Brown, the Director of Business Development for Vermont Coffee Company, and he agrees that Folgers has lost touch with communicating its values and company mission. The challenge of the rebrand was not to entirely throw away the identity of Folgers. Familiar graphics like the mountains and sunrise from the standard design are elevated by the simplicity of the 2D illustrative style. This thesis project is meant to emphasize that even small changes can make a positive difference. This is how GROUNDED is waking up the world.