Don Cafeto GmbH
Alvery GmbH
Art Director
Brand Strategy & Positioning
Corporate Identiy
UX/UI
As a former agricultural engineer in coffee cultivations in Nicaragua and today‘s coffee roaster in Germany, the founder Don Cafetos knows the beginning and the end of the entire coffee chain inside out.
His approach is rooted in long-term, personal partnerships with smallholder farmers — direct, transparent, and without intermediaries.
His goal: to ensure fair pay and dignified working conditions. Through direct trade projects, value remains at the source. Farmers benefit directly from their work, strengthening not only their livelihoods but entire regions.
Don Cafeto’s direct relationships with coffee farmers created real social and environmental value — but without a recognised certification, that value remained invisible. In a market saturated with ethical claims, storytelling alone was no longer enough to earn trust.
Create a transparent brand positioning around Direct Trade by turning every step of the coffee journey into clear, credible and traceable proof — allowing consumers to see the impact behind every cup.
Behind the interviews and testings was a simple insight: people do not connect with supply-chain data. They connect with people.
Consumers may be tired of greenwashing and empty ethical claims, but transparency alone is not enough. Data creates credibility; stories create connection. Rather than building a documentation tool that put facts first and people second, we brought both together.
The name Don Cafeto gives the brand a human identity. “Don” is a respectful yet friendly form of address in Spanish, while “Cafeto” means coffee plant — connecting the brand to its Latin American roots and the people who cultivate it.
The logo combines a farmer’s face with the shape of a coffee cup, capturing the entire journey in one symbol: from the person who grows the coffee to the person who drinks it.
Behind the interviews and testings was a simple insight: people do not connect with supply-chain data. They connect with people.
Consumers may be tired of greenwashing and empty ethical claims, but transparency alone is not enough. Data creates credibility; stories create connection. Rather than building a documentation tool that put facts first and people second, we brought both together.
The label features a QR code linking directly to the Cafeto Digital Pass, where customers explore origin, journey, and data bringing the complete journey to life: from Nicaragua’s highlands to the final cup.
The packaging acts as a bridge to the digital Cafeto Pass, inviting people to discover exactly where their coffee comes from and who made it possible.
to Germany —
and Back
The Cafeto Pass connected Lena in Hamburg with Don Julio in Jinotega, putting a face and name to her coffee. An Instagram story template as CTA in the digital pass made that connection mutual: customers could tag the cooperative, thank farmers directly and share their coffee’s journey with friends. Each story turned a personal thank-you into a trusted recommendation, introducing new people to Don Cafeto without paid media.
