WWF launches new coffee brand Earthbrew - appoints specialist agency Blackdog for retail distribution

Retail growth agency Blackdog has been appointed by leading global environmental charity, WWF to help launch Earthbrew, a new sustainable, premium coffee where “every cup funds nature” (see about section at foot for more details).

Earthbrew, WWF’s first branded product in the category, debuts in September with Colombian Supremo* whole-bean coffee pouches, with a ground version following in October as the next step in the range to meet the needs of a wider audience of at-home coffee drinkers.

Blackdog secured the business after a three-way competitive pitch with a remit that is both strategic and executional. It will take Earthbrew to market by engaging the retail/grocery trade via experiential/events/sampling activity, and building a route towards premium retail distribution as well as growing brand awareness.

Blackdog has developed the overarching launch proposition for both consumer and trade creative territories - “Wake up and smell the rainforest” and “Discover Earthbrew” respectively - with a comprehensive brand toolkit underpinning all Blackdog work and for use by other partners, reinforcing Earthbrew as a premium, desirable, credible, modern brand. The agency also helped develop back-of-pack copy.

The agency has placed experiential, including events and sampling together with other trade engagement at the heart of the immediate Earthbrew launch. It will support the brand’s appearance at Caffé Culture in September and plan and co-ordinate an office sampling initiative to drive discovery awareness. All trade creative assets have been developed by Blackdog.

Commenting on the launch and the special kind of support required of a partner agency, Kezia Moore from WWF said: “Launching a new premium brand is hard enough but when it’s in a category where we have limited experience, there’s an added challenge!

“That’s why we needed a true retail expert, someone who could not just create a launch campaign but help us map out Earthbrew’s longer-term development and how to turn it into a credible retail proposition, so that Earthbrew is seen as a confident brand that naturally belongs in premium retail.

“During the pitch, Blackdog showed us that they understood the interplay between shoppers, retailers and brands like no one else we were talking to so they were a natural choice for the job.”

Jackie Hemmings from Blackdog added: “Every agency loves to support a truly new, purpose-driven initiative, and while there are plenty of coffee brands on the market, this is a first for WWF as it enters an entirely new commercial category, with a very special offer. All of these elements make the task a very exciting one and our skillset means we know we can create momentum strong enough to interest retailers.”

Future marketing initiatives under discussion as part of the longer-term roadmap include in-store activity, pops up, further exhibitions as well as OOH.

Earthbrew is available to purchase from the WWF online shop.

WWF is supporting the Earthbrew launch with supporter communications, email activity and WWF Action magazine sampling.

* Colombian Supremo 100% Arabica speciality-grade whole bean coffee a single origin, medium roast, speciality grade (83+ SCA) and grown and hand-picked in high altitude regions of Colombia's Andes mountains.

ENDS

For further information, contact:

Jo Sensini – 07710 316759

About Blackdog

Blackdog is the Retail Growth Marketing Agency. For more than 20 years, it has helped ambitious retailers and brands turn browsers into buyers by navigating The Retail Trinity: the interconnected needs of retailers, brands and shoppers to create work that delivers clarity, action and measurable commercial growth.

About Earthbrew

Earthbrew is a new premium coffee designed to help people make a positive impact through their everyday choices.

Coffee is one of the world's most beloved premium products, but also one of the most environmentally vulnerable. Climate change, biodiversity loss and deforestation threaten coffee-growing communities and wildlife. The future of premium coffee depends on protecting the places and ecosystems that make great coffee possible.

Earthbrew connects coffee lovers directly to this cause, turning their non-negotiable daily ritual into a small but powerful action for the planet.

The Colombian Supremo is a single origin, medium roast, speciality grade (83+ SCA) and grown and hand-picked in high altitude regions of Colombia's Andes mountains, leading to a smooth, full-bodied cup, with hints of caramel sweetness, chocolate richness and bright citrus notes in the taste.

A 'nature-led' premium coffee Earthbrew is not just another sustainable coffee. It is the only premium coffee where every cup funds nature. Other premium and sustainable coffees may focus on ethical trade, reducing carbon emissions, supporting responsible farming or donating a proportion of their profits, but Earthbrew takes it that step further. 100% of profits are invested back into protecting forests, wildlife and the natural environments that make products like coffee possible.

Earthbrew has been built with responsibility at its core, ensuring exceptional coffee with a lighter footprint at every stage. The beans are roasted and packed in the UK at a Carbon Neutral certified roastery, powered by 100% renewable electricity, and the coffee is 100% traceable to mill, Fairtrade certified and aligned with EUDR requirements, giving consumers confidence in both its quality and ethics.

Packaging has been designed using a circular approach with 100% recyclable materials.