Outstanding Designer Finalists

Brian Haines, Copper Cow Coffee

Outstanding Designer Finalist

We are thrilled to nominate Brian Haines for Sprudge’s “Outstanding Designer” award. Since joining Copper Cow Coffee’s team in August 2019, Brian has served as our sole in-house designer, mastering every design medium—from engaging email campaigns to merchandise design—and, most notably, spearheading our entire rebrand initiative this year. It’s rare for a brand like ours to take on a project of this magnitude without an external agency, making Brian’s accomplishment even more impressive. Our goal at Copper Cow Coffee is to popularize Vietnamese coffee and robusta beans while promoting sustainable farming practices. Brian singlehandedly concepted and developed our new look to reflect these values. His rebranding efforts were recently featured in Dieline, and we were thrilled to see his work receive the recognition it deserves.

In the article, Brian discusses his approach to creating a brand identity that stands out in the coffee category while maintaining authenticity, saying, “Copper Cow does this by leaning into an aesthetic that immediately stands out on the shelf with unexpectedly bright colors, foil, and free-form lines, creating feel-good aesthetics that are unique for the coffee industry, all while still reflecting Copper Cow’s Vietnamese heritage and nuanced sourcing practices for those looking more closely. The goal for this refresh is to relay those good feelings while pursuing sustainability and combating climate change as serious topics.”

Brian’s ability to combine modern design with our brand’s sustainability mission makes supporting equitable farming practices more approachable, especially for younger consumers who value style as much as they value true commitments to sustainability. His work has been key in shaping our brand’s identity and breaking the mold of what a sustainable brand can look like. We are immensely proud of his versatility, dedication, and talent, and we believe his efforts have defined what it means to be a sustainable coffee brand that doesn’t follow the expected design elements of our industry.