Cut & Run - Traverse City

Cut & Run is the coffee / coworking destination just a short walk from the bay in Traverse City, Michigan.

AGENCY Traction

ROLE Art Direction Visual & Verbal Identity Illustration Environmental Activation Event Activation Digital Activation Apparel Design

Great Lakes, Great Coffee.

Our client's commitment to their community ran deep, including their appreciation for Traverse City's abundance of fresh water, and what access to this vital resource equals, not only in terms of quality of life, but also, as a key component of great coffee.

That appreciation became the bedrock of the brand's identity. Creating innumerable opportunities to connect what they do, to why they do it, in incredibly distinct and authentic way.

NAMING

As a means to help capture the brands essence, we named the coffee shop  Cut & Run, a nautical term for cutting your anchor to make a quick escape.

Our partners at William A. Kibbe & Associates helped us bring the brands world full circle by tastefully implementing our iconic blue into the built environment. 

The Idea Runs Deep

01. Leaning into a bright and undeniable blue, which no one in their competitive set was leveraging.

02. Creating custom watercolor illustrations (and a mural!) to help center the brand in people’s minds (sun and water) and express/align the feelings we wanted folks to associate with the brand. 

03. Working with our client and contractors on all activations to ensure their commitment to water wasn’t just surface level. This included the use of washable cups, post-consumer to-go cups, organic fabrics with eco-friendly inks for their merchandise, low-flow toilets, and water refill stations. 

Thank you for viewing our project!

Our Partners A/E & Interior Design - William A. Kibbe & Associates Copywriter - Sav  / Copy Compass  Photography - Khalid / Eat Pomegranate

©2025 Traction Brands We give you the confidence to do remarkable things™