Seattle’s Best Coffee Relaunches With New Level System

"Seattle’s Best Coffee, part of Starbucks Corporation, today announced a radically simplified packaged coffee line designed to change the conventions of the coffee category. The Seattle’s Best Coffee “Level” System delivers great tasting, premium coffee with an expanded blend offering in conjunction with an innovative and bold new packaging concept. The Level System’s unique array of numbers and vivid colors tell consumers exactly what they want to know: which type of coffee fits their taste profile. Seattle’s Best Coffee is the first brand in the coffee category to offer this unique approach, which will begin hitting grocery and retail store shelves in December 2010."

Designed by Seattle based Creature. Details, images of the full line, and shots of the old packaging below!

For Seattle’s Best Coffee, the Level System represents a move to bring simplicity to the coffee aisle today, while growing the brand’s market share in the premium coffee segment. The packaged coffee market in the U.S. is a $3.6 billion dollar industry according to AC Nielsen*, and research shows shoppers today are sometimes overwhelmed by coffee choices.

“The Level System represents a bold step forward in the packaged coffee category, and Seattle’s Best Coffee is leading the way,” said Michelle Gass, president, Seattle’s Best Coffee. “We’re making it easy for consumers to find the coffee that’s right for them. For premium coffee drinkers, the Level System is a simple way to explore taste profiles, and for mainstream coffee drinkers, it is an invitation to enter the premium coffee segment with confidence and ease.”

With the new Level System, consumers will be able to easily find and choose from a selection of Seattle’s Best Coffee blends that span the entire range of coffee enjoyment, from a mild, light, crisp Level 1 to a bold, dark and intense Level 5. Each Level represents a finely tuned recipe crafted from decades of roasting experience, blended from beans carefully chosen for their nuances and characteristics, and carrying the hallmark taste of Seattle’s Best Coffee: velvety, round and smooth.

In addition to Levels 1 through 5, consumer can choose from a decaffeinated blend, an Organic Fair Trade blend and flavored coffees Cinnamon (“C”) and Hazelnut (“H”). The new Level System lineup will begin replacing the existing Seattle’s Best Coffee products on shelves beginning in December.

According to AC Nielsen data, 85 percent of all coffee sold is listed as medium and light. Before the new Level System, Seattle’s Best Coffee only offered choices in the medium and dark ranges. By expanding its line-up and developing two new coffee blends and roasts, Level 1 and Level 2, Seattle’s Best Coffee is appealing to the growing base of consumers who enjoy a lighter blend but may be looking to trade up into the premium segment.

As part of the Starbucks Corporation, the Seattle’s Best Coffee brand leverages the same supply chain and quality controls as the Starbucks brand. This means working side by side with farmers and cultivating decades-long relationships to ensure quality standards are met around the world. This dedication to responsibly grown, ethically traded coffee ensures access to the premium beans used in the Seattle’s Best Coffee Level System.

“Ultimately, people select coffee based on taste and that can be hard to determine in today’s coffee aisle,” said Andrew Linnemann, director, Green Coffee Quality, Starbucks Corporation. “Seattle’s Best Coffee is known for its smooth taste profile. Each Level has been sourced, blended and roasted with care and precision to meet consumers’ desire to simply enjoy a great tasting cup of coffee.”

The new levels system, color and numerically ordered from light to dark roast.

The old packaging system.

Comments

[Christopher Swift]

Great update, only issue is that at first glance you don't understand how the numbers relate to the product.

[Tim Ross]

I can understand the need to distance itself from Starbucks. However, I would imagine there has to be a better or different story to tell than just numbers. Ingesting a number is somewhat unfulfilling as appetite appeal. Maybe it maps back to the panned identity redesign.

On the food appeal scale it scores a solid 6 out of 10.

Feel free to disagree with me.

[Jason Friend]

This has a generic store brand look (Target?). Would be nice to see something more elegant or vintage.

[Andrew Sechin]

It's sure looks generic. Old package may be old but has heritage and taste. New design for people living in studio.

[Jeff Meyer]

Guys, I dont think this looks generic at all. That attitude is what keeps old, stodgy design on the shelf for so long. The old Seattles Best looked like mass produced coffee. I wonder if I'm going to get Folgers when I open the bag. The flavor interface was recessive and confusing and not too many people outside of seattle understood what the background graphic was which only muddled the brand further. In case anyone missed it: Target store brand products FLY off the shelves. So, if this design takes a page from that then why not? I cant exactly pinpoint when clean type and a well organized package became generic, but way too many packaging creative directors think this way and it needs to change. When I see a great package like this it gives me hope. It will need a little advertising to bolster the recognition of the new logo, but thats it. Looks like they are already thinking about that as Burger King is now giving away Seattles Best coffee in a cup with the new logo. Great thinking on that, and great job Creature!

[Jerod Rivera]

Its a great design, but I don't think its quite there yet. There's a little too much focus on those numbers, all I can do is look at them.
The Seattle's Best Logo gets a bit lost in my opinion. I also agree this design makes it look like generic coffee as well.

[Carrie Crews]

Sorry, but I'm in the camp that says these new designs look very generic.

I really like Seattle's Best. If one of the coffees still tastes like the Breakfast Blend, I will buy it regardless of what the bag looks like. But if I had never used Seattle's Best before, I would think it was a cheap brand. I wondered if now that Starbuck's owns it, they aren't trying to make their brand look classier and drop Seattle's Best coffee down a notch so it doesn't compete.

Whatever the strategy, if they want it to look like something better than a Target or Kmart brand, they should at least make the company name in large letters with a classy font and shrink that generic looking number down several notches. They might try making those numbers in a classy font as well.

[NikR]

What, do they think coffee drinkers are too stupid to to be able to read the package to know what kind of coffee? I am insulted. The coffee number systems looks like institutional packaging. I do not like it!

[Chris n Indy]

Its so stupid I like particular blends not just roast levels. It was very frustrating not being able to buy my blend instead having to settle for a roast level. Also the author is wrong they had light roast it was call Columbian and I was a trainer for the company so I know.

[T P in Fort Wayne]

I would like to know if each level is going to have a decaf counterpart

[Cindylou]

They do have decaf. I bought one by mistake - Decaf Level Three. Bag color is reversed but number is the same - only has decaf in the title. Still trying to figure out which 'level' is the coffee I was previously drinking. I miss the names and picture (maybe I am a creature of habit).

[sk in colorado]

I am not quite sure why the big deal over the outside packaging! You don't drink the package or brew the package. I like the no-nonsense approach to this coffee. The levels and the description tell you exactly what to expect. I pour my coffee into another container after buying it and throw the package away so for me it's all about the taste. And the taste is off the charts!

Great coffee, Seattle!!!

[Kristen]

Its a big deal sk in colorado because this is a DESIGN website. And because packaging is a big part of the consumer decision.

I agree that these looks generic. Not feeling it.