Onward Coffee
A Sip in the Right Direction
The founders of Scarlett & Steve share a deep-rooted passion for coffee that began with a love for community and a desire to create something truly meaningful. Inspired by the rich coffee traditions they encountered during their travels and the vibrant café culture of their hometown, they set out to craft a brand that celebrates quality, connection, and sustainability. With a commitment to sourcing ethically and roasting with precision, they’ve built a coffee experience that not only delights the palate but also fosters a sense of belonging. Their journey is driven by the belief that every cup tells a story—one of care, craft, and connection.
At Kudu, we were excited to partner with Onward Coffee to elevate their brand identity, design their coffee trailer, and enhance their social media presence. Through collaboration, we dove deep into their passion, vision for the next five years, and the emotions they wanted their brand to inspire. Their message was clear: “Not letting setbacks prevent you from moving onward.” Together, we brought that resilience to life through bold, purposeful design and storytelling.
Brand Identity
The Onward Coffee logo is a clean, modern representation of the brand’s message: “Not letting setbacks prevent you from moving onward.” The design features a stylized “C” formed by a bold, rounded green arrow pointing upward and to the right, symbolizing growth, progress, and forward momentum. The choice of green evokes a sense of energy, renewal, and optimism, perfectly aligning with the brand’s resilient ethos.
The typography pairs a strong, bold sans-serif font for “ONWARD COFFEE”, creating balance while maintaining an strong, confident feel. The different logo lockups ensures readability across various applications, from signage to social media.
The dark charcoal background on alternate versions provides contrast and sophistication, making the vibrant green icon pop while giving the brand a versatile and professional edge. The subtle background pattern of playful smiley faces and arrows adds a human, approachable touch, reinforcing Onward Coffee’s focus on positivity and connection.
This thoughtful logo embodies Onward Coffee’s identity, merging resilience, optimism, and a sense of movement into a memorable and impactful visual mark.
Color Palette
Onward Coffee’s color palette is a vibrant and balanced mix that reflects the brand’s energy, warmth, and approachability. The bold lime green serves as the focal point, symbolizing growth, optimism, and forward motion. The deep charcoal anchors the palette, adding a sense of professionalism and modernity. Accents of bright red and golden yellow inject energy and warmth, evoking feelings of passion and positivity. The cooler tones of soft purple and sky blue provide harmony and calm, balancing the overall look while representing reliability and trust. Together, these colors create a visually striking yet approachable brand identity that mirrors Onward Coffee’s mission: to inspire movement, connection, and resilience.
Coffee Trailer Design
Onward Coffee’s trailer design is a bold and engaging mobile extension of their brand, combining functionality with eye-catching aesthetics. The matte charcoal background, adorned with subtle, playful icons like arrows and smiley faces, creates a dynamic yet approachable visual texture. Bright pops of lime green from the logo and accents draw immediate attention, symbolizing energy, progress, and positivity. Strategic placement of key messaging, such as the slogan “A Sip in the Right Direction,” invites customers to connect with the brand’s mission while reinforcing its resilient, forward-moving ethos. The addition of QR codes, social media handles, and the website URL ensures seamless access to digital platforms, enhancing user engagement. Designed to stand out while on the move or parked for service, this trailer reflects Onward Coffee’s commitment to delivering more than just coffee—it delivers a message of growth and community connection.
Brand Pillars
Brand pillars are the key characteristics that define a brand and make it stand out from the herd. They are the categories that a brand uses to communicate its values to its audience. Brand pillars can help a company build a clear identity and communicate its goals and aims. Below are the beginning stages of rooting the brand story in authenticity.
Tools of a barista, heart of a chef.
- Our team has worked with Award winning chefs
- Creative, in-house syrups
- Specialty drinks – and familiar favorites done better than ever
- Carefully crafted, obsessively orchestrated menu, with every flavor in its place
Locally sourced, community focused approach.
- Local Beans from Mad Catter Roasters
- Tasty treats from local bakeries and vendors
- We’re out and about in the community – colleges, the game, local events, wherever you are
Vibes to inspire.
- Proud of where we are, been and are going
- Inspired by a remarkable community with big accomplishments and bigger ambitions
- Encouraging, positive people serving fuel for good work, bright ideas and special moments.
Positioning Statement
100-Word
At Onward Coffee we’re slinging more than great cups and bringing tasty little treats. We’re here to ignite your senses and awaken the community to a life that’s rich with possibility. With our locally sourced, carefully crafted flavors, we pour passion into every moment. With phenomenal in-house syrups and locally sourced Mad Catter beans – wielded with the skill of a barista and the heart of a chef – Onward fuels experience, warms hearts and drives ambition. From the first aromatic whiff to the last nurturing sip, Onward Coffee is a daily spark of joy, a source of local pride and a launch pad to propel you in the right direction.
75-Word
At Onward Coffee, we awaken the community to rich possibilities. It starts by igniting the senses with a great cup of joe (and some tasty treats). Using locally sourced Mad Catter beans and phenomenal in-house syrups, everything in our truck is crafted with the skill of a barista and the heart of a chef. From the first aromatic whiff to the last sip, Onward fuels joy, warms hearts, and drives ambition with local pride and caffeinated inspiration.
50-Word
Onward Coffee pours passion into every cup – offering locally sourced beans, in-house syrups and caffeinated inspiration. Our expertly crafted flavors are prepared with the tools of a barista and the heart of a chef to ignite your senses, fuel your ambition and keep you moving in the right direction.
25-Word
Onward Coffee keeps you moving ahead with an abundance of locally sourced flavors expertly crafted with the tools of a barista and the heart of a chef.
Brand Story
This is about more than making an exceptional coffee. We’re out to make connections, inspire, sweeten days and wake the community to all the possibilities that surround them. It’s about a locally focused, warmly positive team that’s striving to do something good, powerful and local.
Coffee is the wellspring (portafilter, rather) where it all transpires – where great flavors and good vibes go hand in hand. We’re a solid start. A welcome break. A great meet-up. A shot of energy. A moment of warmth. But also, a hit of inspiration.
And nothing lights up the imagination better than dazzling the senses – and nobody does it better than Onward Coffee. We serve up sights to behold, smells and flavors to savor and crave. From the hiss of the espresso machine to the delicate kiss of that muffin you needed to keep moving ahead. It warms the soul.
This is all just a fancy way of saying we’re here to keep our people moving onward. And upward. We need to bring the community in with a memorable brand – so they can discover us, remember us, taste the possibilities – and keep looking to us.
Resources
“Convenient coffee that tastes good and does good is in.”
Coffee Intelligence – Data shows convenient coffee is thriving, even as consumers’ priorities shift
https://intelligence.coffee/2024/03/convenient-coffee-is-thriving/
“For Gen Z, coffee is less a morning ritual and more a creative canvas, a sweet treat, and a community experience.”
Coffee Intelligence – Is black coffee boring? Gen Z seems to think so
https://intelligence.coffee/2024/08/gen-z-thinks-black-coffee-is-boring/
“Your journey’s not over. It’s just begun.
Make your dreams your destiny, and do what must be done.”
Andrew W.K. – You’re Not Alone