As Coffee Island's Agency of Record, we crafted a new brand identity, always-on comms strategy and creative production across social and physical touchpoints that successfully introduced the European coffeehouse to a new market, positioning it as a premium "third place" at the intersection of coffee and culture.
Challenge
Coffee Island is a European coffeehouse brand founded in 1999, known for its 25-year legacy in crafting exceptional coffee beans and brews. When Coffee Island was ready to enter the India market earlier this year, we partnered with them as their Agency of Record to help launch and establish the brand’s first-ever presence in the country.
CoffeeIsland needed a creative partner to not only re-craft their established brand identity for an Indian market but also to build intrigue, drive footfall to their new locations, and position Coffee Island as a "culture cafe" that blends coffee with community, conversation, and collaboration. The key was to maintain the brand’s premium, European elegance while making it feel warm, welcoming, and culturally relevant to Indian urban centers.
Approach
Our strategy was guided by a single, powerful idea: to position Coffee Island as a true "third place”, existing at the intersection of Coffee & Culture, Conversations & Camaraderie, and Community & Collabs.
Our creative execution was built on three core principles:
Blend European elegance with Indian warmth. We re-crafted and adapted the brand’s core visual assets and language, ensuring the aesthetic remained consistent with its European roots while resonating with local sensibilities.
Keep it playful, premium, and conversational. We crafted a tone of voice that was sophisticated yet approachable, inviting people to discover more than just a cup of coffee.
Make every campaign an invitation. From social media to out-of-home (OOH) displays, our messaging consistently invited audiences to experience the unique culture and community that Coffee Island represents.
As Coffee Island’s always-on retainer partner, we handle everything from high-level strategy to day-to-day execution. This includes everything from end-to-end social media (from strategy and content creation to production and community building) and in-store designs across touch points to OOH hoardings, brand localisation and integrated digital campaigns for store and product launches.
Results
In just eight months, our partnership with Coffee Island has led to a series of impactful launches and campaigns that successfully established the brand's presence in the Indian market.
All creative and visual collaterals you see in a Coffee Island store in India have been conceptualised, created and delivered by Toaster, in line with a unique visual and tonal identity that feels both premium and accessible.
We helped Coffee Island launch and activate three new stores across India (with more on the way) each with a unique, high-impact launch campaign across all touchpoints
We executed several successful digital and in-store campaigns to build buzz and drive footfall. The Tap Me Experience campaign, for instance, used reels and in-store visuals to generate curiosity around an interactive coffee-tap innovation. Similarly, the Java Chip Killer Launch was a social-first campaign that tied a seasonal beverage to a European café aesthetic, driving engagement and sales.
We leveraged strategic OOH placements and integrated digital campaigns to create strong initial visibility and intrigue around each new store, positioning Coffee Island as a must-visit destination in a competitive market.
