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CLIENT BRIEF

While leading a large-scale rebrand for Bongo Roasting Co., spanning the roasting company, cafés, website, and packaging system, PCKG uncovered a piece of Bongo history sitting unused in the founder's archive: 25-year-old artwork featuring two characters known as Barista Boy and Bongo Baby. Originally created as sticker and T-shirt graphics, the characters had been out of circulation for decades. Rather than simply reproducing the archival artwork, we saw an opportunity to give it a new purpose. Barista Boy and Bongo Baby were revived as Bongo's "Coffee Superheroes," fighting corporate coffee through a limited-edition brand activation built around comic book-inspired packaging, merchandise, storytelling, and promotions.

Client
Bongo Roasting Co.
Year
2026
Services
Retail LTO packaging design
Industry
Food & Beverage, Franchise

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

The limited-time offering gave us an opportunity to push Bongo's newly established identity into a louder, more playful world without disconnecting it from the core brand. The existing Coffee Superheroes concept became a literal comic book narrative, transforming Barista Boy and Bongo Baby into characters who personify Bongo's independent spirit, sourcing philosophy, values, and personality.


Packaging became the centerpiece of the activation. The outer carton functions as both a coffee package and a storytelling canvas, using sequential illustrations, bold typography, and comic book conventions to build a world around the characters. Inside, the coffee bags remain connected to Bongo's broader packaging system, allowing the activation to feel distinctly different while still belonging unmistakably to the same brand.

By bringing 25-year-old artwork out of the archive and reimagining it for a new generation, Barista Boy and Bongo Baby demonstrate how an established brand can use its own history as a source of innovation. The result is a collectible, purpose-driven packaging experience that reaches beyond Bongo's core coffee line while preserving the personality and independence that have defined the company for more than three decades.

ADDITIONAL ELEMENTS

360 View

PURPOSE DRIVES IMPACT,

BONGO BUCKS DRIVE ACTION

The program also extends beyond the physical package, with values-based initiatives that tie directly into Bongo's marketing efforts.

  • BONGO BUCKS
    Each Coffee Superhero box includes a "Bongo Buck," featuring rotating offers designed to encourage customers to explore other parts of the Bongo ecosystem, from coffee and merchandise to café experiences and future purchases. The promotion turns the package into an ongoing point of engagement rather than a single transaction.
  • EDUCATION INITIATIVE
    Purpose is also built directly into the program. One dollar from every purchase supports education initiatives in the communities where Bongo's coffee is grown and harvested, helping fund schools, literacy, and learning resources while strengthening the company's long-term relationships at origin.

  • FINAL APPROVED DESIGN

    The PCKG team produced the approved bag design, which is now available for purchase both online and in-store at Bongo Java locations in Nashville, TN.

  • SHOP THIS COFFEE

    Our customers put as much love into their coffee as they do into their brand, so why not taste it for yourself and see how good design and great coffee come together?
    shop now