A close-up of a person's hand holding a pencil, writing on lined paper.

Bold white text on a black background that reads "Coffee Taproom."

A woman with dark hair in a bun serving coffee from a coffee machine at a cafe, holding a paper cup.

case study

We Created a coffee shop that doesn't sell coffee

Inside a coffee taproom with a row of beer tap handles, a shelf with coffee cups, and a sign with the text 'There are no bad days, only good coffee days.' A colorful rug is on the wooden floor.

Nescafé instant coffee sachets provide a quick and affordable way to make a sweet & creamy cup of coffee at home, which is perfect for millennials who like their coffee sweet and easy. But even though they make coffee at home there are still times they want to hang out in a coffee shop. To study, hang out with friends, dates, etc. Coffee shops are a part of being young. Rather than sending people through competitors’ doors, like Starbucks and Tim Horton's who have entered the "at-home coffee" market. We decided to enter their territory.

We created a brick-and-mortar experience called the Nescafé Coffee Taproom—a coffee shop made exclusively for Nescafé Sweet & Creamy customers. There are no baristas, but instead, hot water taps to make a perfect cup of creamy coffee like you would at home. Even the coffee cups have your name misspelled on the side, just like baristas would do in those other coffee shops.

Black background with white curving line and dots

Interior of a modern coffee shop with a white counter, multiple beer taps, a red and black patterned rug, and customers walking inside. Shelves with stacked cups are visible in the background, along with seating and a potted plant.

everything a typical coffee shops has. Cool vibes, free wifi, and lots and lots of sitting areas to milk one coffee all day.

A room with a wooden table and white chairs, a floor lamp, and a wall decorated with framed posters about farming, water conservation, and job creation.

Modern, well-lit coffee shop with white walls, wooden accents, colorful chairs, and green potted plants, featuring a seating area with gray sofas and red cushions, and a large window showing outside parking.

The PRODUCT is the key TO GET IT IN

The Coffee Taproom became a perk of ownership for Nescafé customers. Entry into the Taproom could only be unlocked by scanning a Sweet & Creamy coffee sachet.

A woman holding a packet of Nescafé Ace coffee with a holographic scanning overlay and the text 'Position the scarf within the outline'

Close-up of a textured surface with black and white dots creating a pattern.

STILL getting AN authentic barista experience

HiJacking a social trend

On social there was lots of chatter about people getting their names misspelled by baristas at other coffee shops, so we hijacked the conversation and gave away misspelled name cups to bring attention to the Coffee Taproom's best feature, no baristas.

White paper coffee cups with red and black text and graphics, reading 'quartney' and 'Coffee Taproom' with a red coffee mug icon, arranged on a shelf.

For people who couldn't visit the Taproom, we created a way for everyone to experience it by taking the same misspelled name cups in the Taproom and selling them online through the Nescafé e-comm platform.