Tallboy Coffee

From footy fields to coffee grounds.

Man holding Tallboy Coffee packaging with label changing to display range

BrandCreativeDigital

After a successful 13-year AFL career, Zac Smith was looking to turn his passion for coffee into a bold new venture. As he embarked on his coffee roasting journey, Theory were brought onboard to build a brand from the ground up – from naming and brand identity through to packaging, promotional materials, and an e-commerce website.

Wanting to steer clear of overt AFL references while still nodding to Zac’s story, the name, Tallboy, playfully alludes to his sporting past and towering stature. This tongue-in-cheek spirit is carried through to the brand’s flexible wordmark – featuring custom, elongated, characterful letterforms that stretch with comical charm.

Channelling Zac’s easygoing nature, the Tallboy brand strikes a optimistic yet laid back tone to deliver a fun, approachable identity that doesn’t take itself too seriously.

Awards
BADC Silver

Full range of 250g and 1kg packaging designs lined up against dark grey background

Tallboy Coffee packaging in early morning light

Box with Tallboy branded packing tap slides across mailboxes and into frame

Zac – owner of Tallboy Coffee - roasting coffee

Laptop on dark grey background, displaying the Tallboy Coffee website

Dialling up the brand’s personality, a series of quirky character illustrations builds on the comedic theme of height. Rather than depicting Zac directly, the illustrations introduce a range of abstract, coffee-loving figures – each sporting exaggeratedly long legs extrapolated from the stretched ‘L’s in the wordmark.

This ensemble cast of characters underscore Tallboy’s commitment to community, connection, and a shared love of great coffee.