Popular YouTuber and content creator Sean McLoughlin released a range of ethically sourced coffee back in 2020 under the brand name Top of the Mornin’ as a nod to his Irish heritage.
Over the last 3 years, the brand has evolved into a range of ground and whole coffee beans, tea, and hot cocoa available online to a broader global audience.
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With this growth came the need for a new look that injected more personality into the branding in order to reach the new generation of caffeine lovers.
So, the company roped in the help of London-based design studio, Earthling, to add an element of playfulness and tomfoolery to the branding whilst ensuring McLoughlin’s values remained at the core of the business.
So, let’s take a look in more detail at the updates to the coffee brand!
Credit to Underconsideration
An Upgraded Logo
First up was a new and improved logo, which was much needed as the past logo didn’t really say “drink me” or involve enough energy or life.
So, to mix this up Earthling decided to move away from the slightly wonky hand-drawn typeface used and instead use a thick, rounded and energetic block typeface, with a drop shadow to create more depth.
Although certainly not a brand new idea for a logo, it’s popular among brands looking to reach a range of audiences and it certainly is joyful.
The best part of this new logo however, is the evolved version of the sunshine in a coffee cup.
In the previous branding, the sun could have been mistaken for a wonky egg yolk being fried, but this time around there is no mistaking the new brand mascot, Sonny.
He sits snugly in the coffee cup that represents the O in the brand name, with a cheesy grin and a big thumbs up, and helps to radiate positivity throughout the entire brand.
The animated version of the logo creates a bouncy feel and only adds to the warm and friendly feeling of TOTM coffee. This stems from the want to create an absurd positivity around the branding, bringing small moments of relief and happiness by providing a cup full of sunshine for customers each morning.
Credit to Underconsideration
A Mix of Mascots
The primary mascot, Sonny, is seen in multiple versions, as he is a small sun shining out of a coffee cup but also a fully functional brand character who walks and bounces around the screen and packaging design.
Allowing this mascot to walk around and the rays above his head to move from side to side, allows Sonny to become a true ray of sunshine.
Not only do we have Sonny for this rebrand, but a mix of other mascots have appeared too, including a shamrock, a coffee cup, and a rainbow.
Each character again adds to the positivity and happiness of the new branding and we can’t help but admit that they make us smile!
This group of four characters completes the cast for this colourful cartoon universe and what’s even nicer is that when animated they all move in a slightly different way, giving each character their own style and attitude.
The shamrock jumps and floats, while Sonny and the coffee cup swagger through the TOTM universe, and the rainbow bobs up and down to break up the movement of the other 3 characters.
These cheeky mascots pair perfectly with the new tone of voice, which is rooted in enthusiasm and positivity and developed to bring infectious joy and inclusivity, as well as a touch of quirkiness.
Each piece of copy packs a punch, using short snappy sentences such as “So bright it’s practically neon” and of course the lead line “absurdly good coffee”.
Credit to Underconsideration
Brand Palette and Packaging
The rebrand continues to improve as we move onto the new colour palette and packaging design used.
The brand palette is a vibrant mix of golden yellow, bold blue, and hot pink which are supported by smaller pops of green and purple here and there.
Each colour represents something different, with the golden yellowy orange reflecting sunny mornings, the blue used to mimic the sky, and the pink adding intrigue.
The colours are in fact kept fairly simple, but due to the bright and bold nature of each shade steer clear from the primary colour palette and strike a nice balance between simple and slightly neon.
The overall packaging is satisfying aesthetically with the large bold logo on the front (including Sonny of course) and nice neat labels providing the product information.
Everything seems to sit comfortably and it’s ultimately an example of CPG packaging that is simple, effective, and gets the job done!
A Cupful of Sunshine: The Top of the Morning Coffee Rebrand Explored
In order to create a brand that stood out not only to fans of Sean McLoughlin, but coffee drinkers around the world, it was important to land on an identity that resonated with a wider audience.
Therefore, with the help of the Earthling agency, Top of the Morning injected positivity into the branding with bold colours, a range of brand mascots, and an upbeat tone of voice.
Everything from the logo to the packaging design was tweaked to ensure the entire brand was centred around the core value of spreading positivity, and providing small moments of happiness through a cupful of sunshine.
This rebrand successfully refreshed the previous style and personality of the company, allowing the brand to remain seen in an overcrowded section of the CPG market.
But let us know what you think! Whether you can’t function without a cup of joe in the morning or hot cocoa at night is more your thing, don’t forget to tell us your thoughts on this rebrand via the social links below!
