FINCAS RULAND: FROM MINING ROOTS TO HIGH-ALTITUDE COFFEE
How do you rebrand a 25-year-old family coffee legacy in Santa Bárbara while honoring its mining heritage and world-class quality?
Concept: Brand Identity Rebrand & Packaging Ecosystem
Role: Brand Strategy, Modular Packaging System & Label Design
Deliverables: Visual Identity, Multi-tier Packaging System & Brand Touchpoints
Tools: Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign
Fincas Ruland is a high-altitude coffee brand from Las Vegas, Santa Bárbara. With over 25 years of tradition in artisanal coffee farming, this rebranding project focused on renewing its visual identity to connect with new audiences, reflect its award-winning quality, and establish a clear packaging system for its various roast tiers and export lines.
THE HERITAGE & VISUAL SYSTEM
MINING ROOTS & COFFEE PASSION
The brand story stems from the union of a zinc and silver miner and a dedicated coffee-farming family in Santa Bárbara, whose crops earned Cup of Excellence recognition for five consecutive years. The identity honors this duality through a balance of organic and structured visual elements: geometric construction reflecting precision, and rich imagery conveying the warmth of the soil, hand harvesting, and a 25-year family legacy.
A bespoke graphic language representing origin landmarks and unique bean varieties.
PACKAGING SYSTEM & VARIETY CODING
MODULAR ARCHITECTURE & FUNCTIONAL SYMBOLS
To support Fincas Ruland’s production scale and diverse coffee offerings, a modular packaging system was engineered to balance production efficiency with a premium brand presence. Rather than relying on a rigid single format, the identity uses a flexible labeling architecture tailored to different product tiers:
Variety Symbol System: Bespoke iconographic symbols paired with clear variety typography (Parainema, Pacas, Geisha, Catuai, Icatu) act as functional stickers and bag closure seals to distinguish each unique harvest without altering the primary packaging structure.
Core Line (Kraft & Sticker System): Eco-friendly kraft paper bags with high-precision typographic stickers—an agile, cost-effective solution for high-rotation coffees.
Specialty & Micro-Lot Line (Pouches & Direct Print): High-barrier stand-up pouches and custom-printed formats designed for limited-edition and award-winning single origins.
BRAND EXPERIENCE & TOUCHPOINTS
TACTILE RITUALS & DAILY CONSUMPTION
The Fincas Ruland identity comes to life through the daily ritual of coffee consumption. Every customer touchpoint was crafted to extend the heritage narrative into a tactile, memorable experience:
On-the-Go Consumption (Hot & Cold Cups): Thermal paper cups for hot brew and clean, transparent cups for iced beverages, keeping the brand's system dynamic in motion.
Customer Care & Secondary Packaging (Bags & Cards): Kraft takeaway bags paired with thank-you cards sharing the brand's origin story for a seamless customer experience.
Branded Drinkware (Mugs & Coasters): Standard and limited-edition ceramic mugs paired with graphic bases, designed for both the in-house espresso bar and brand collectibles.
