Packaging Design
Spec Ad - Cossette
The iconic McCafé cup represents the superior coffee taste and aroma that customers love. This holiday season, a festive new cup design needed to attract seasonal customers craving McCafé's quality coffee while competing with Starbucks and Tim Hortons. With endless coffee cup designs across cafes, McCafé needed a cup that could attract new customers and stand out during the competitive holiday season.
The Challenge
How can I as a Nigerian understand what it holidays feel like in Canada?
As a Nigerian who has lived in Canada for several years, I faced the challenge of authentically connecting with the Canadian audience while representing an American-facing brand like McDonald's. The key questions became: How could I make this design distinctly Canadian? How could it genuinely connect with Canadians, their culture, and traditions around the holiday season? The design needed to feel authentic rather than imposed from outside.
The Process
My UX/UI background proved invaluable for this challenge. Rather than relying solely on technical research, I focused on genuine human connection—having conversations with Canadians, reflecting on my experiences with them, and allowing the community to impact the design rather than trying to impose concepts. This community-driven approach led to insights that shaped an authentic Canadian holiday experience through the cup design.
The Insight
More Than Caffeine - Comfort and Community in Every Cup
The morning coffee run is more than just a caffeine fix - it’s a soothing ritual and daily marker of normalcy. With its familiar branding and inclusive community spaces, McCafé provides customers the small moments of comfort and belonging they crave when little else seems steady.
Bringing warmth coast to coast, the 2024 McCafé Holiday Cup connects Canadians through the spirit of the season.
The Solution
Rekindling nostalgia and holiday wonder this season.
The design was deeply inspired by my personal experience of sending letters to my friend in Newfoundland. This quintessentially Canadian practice created an intimate bridge between us that digital communication couldn't replicate, especially during the holidays.
Colorful postage stamps on a rich green background, each celebrating different aspects of Canadian culture and holiday traditions—including a Newfoundland map stamp (number 18) as a personal nod to my friend's home province. Connected by Christmas lights, the stamps symbolize how postal connections unite communities across Canada's vast geography.
Expanded Further
This could lead to an activation where there is a real postage stamp that could be taken from the cup that people can use to reach out to their loved ones. The removable stamp element encourages customers to participate in this tradition of reaching out to loved ones, transforming the cup into an interactive experience that celebrates the warmth and joy of the holidays in true Canadian style.
The Potential Impact
This project was part of my application for Cossette's summer internship program and successfully secured me the internship, also placing me on the team supporting the creation of the 2024 McCafé holiday cup.
The campaign could cause an 20% increase in Canadian coffee sales by attracting new coffee drinkers and families, with post-holiday customer loyalty projected to rise by 15% as customers form emotional connections with the brand through this authentic celebration of Canadian holiday spirit.