Laughing Man Coffee, a brand of Waterbury, Vt.-based Keurig Green Mountain Inc., announced a brand refresh and new marketing campaign, “Make Every Cup Count,” to celebrate its mission to deliver premium coffee and give back to the farmers who produce it.
Anchored by its national marketing campaign, Laughing Man Coffee unveiled an updated logo, revamped brand packaging, a new recyclable pod format, and expanded availability and varieties. In celebration of the campaign launch, for 30 days beginning March 12, every purchase of bagged coffee and pods will result in a double donation to the Laughing Man Foundation and its efforts to support coffee-growing communities around the world, the company says.
Laughing Man Coffee was founded in 2011 by award-winning actor Hugh Jackman following a trip to Ethiopia where he met a young coffee farmer named Dukale. Inspired by his perseverance and unwavering optimism, Jackman launched Laughing Man Coffee to help improve the lives of coffee farmers, like Dukale.
Jackman contributes 100 percent of his profits to the Laughing Man Foundation, an organization he created to support coffee farming communities and deploy programs that clear the way to health, growth and success for coffee farmers and their families. Investments are made in community-based programs, such as infrastructure, education and housing programs to complement the Fair Trade premium that farmers receive, the company says.
“By creating Laughing Man Coffee, I saw an opportunity to make a difference in the world with exceptional coffee,” said Hugh Jackman, co-founder of Laughing Man Coffee and the Laughing Man Foundation, in a statement. “Every person has the power to make a difference, and it can be as simple as supporting products like Laughing Man Coffee that also give back, are Fair-Trade Certified and have a mission to make the world a better place.”
Jackman introduced the new brand look and announced the double-donation commitment at South by Southwest during a question-and-answer session titled “How Social Entrepreneurs Are Inspiring Change.” Jackman shared insight into the cross-section of social good and market forces, as well as the inspiration behind Laughing Man Coffee, and how the brand brings to life the motto ‘Make Every Cup Count’ through its support of coffee farming communities around the world, according to the company.
As part of a continued commitment to sustainability, all Laughing Man Coffee pods in new packaging are made with polypropylene No. 5 plastic, which is widely recyclable curbside throughout North America, the company says. In addition to recyclable K-Cup pods, consumers now can purchase the brand in ground bagged coffee at a number of retail stores nationwide, including Target and at LaughingManCoffee.com.
“Consumers’ coffee tastes are evolving and there is an increasing desire for distinct, super-premium coffee, like Laughing Man Coffee, across a number of formats,” said Scott Moffitt, chief brand and beverage officer at Keurig, in a statement. “We are proud to not only expand the availability and varieties of Laughing Man Coffee, but also to increase our support of the farmers around the world who make our coffee.”
The new ‘Make Every Cup Count’ campaign features retail activations, digital advertising, a national public relations campaign, social media amplification and an inspiring digital video series. Created with Red Tettemer O’Connell + Partners, the series follows Jackman as he travels to Huila, Colombia, to meet with coffee farmers and their families and see the impact of the communities benefiting from the programs funded by the Laughing Man Foundation. The video entitled “Anthem” features “Better Way” by award-winning singer-songwriter Ben Harper.
