Speckled Ax Branding & Design

Award Winning Packaging Design

Murphy Empire partnered with Speckled Ax Wood Roasted Coffee to develop a comprehensive brand identity system and full product-packaging suite for their award-winning coffee line. The project included visual identity, logo design, and first place award-winning packaging by the Specialty Coffee Association Global Expo, 2024—all crafted to reflect their unique wood-roasting process and Maine heritage.

Speckled Ax Wood Roasted Coffee axe mark and wordmark shown on a white background
Circular Speckled Ax Wood Roasted Coffee seal mark displayed on white
Speckled Ax Wood Roasted Coffee wordmark and identity lockup

Selected identity, packaging, and environmental brand applications.

Orange Speckled Ax coffee packaging box featuring illustrated fish artwork
Black and white Speckled Ax coffee packaging box with illustrated texture
Hunter Plaid Speckled Ax coffee packaging box with illustrated texture
Whitetail Deer Speckled Ax coffee packaging box with illustrated texture
Speckled Ax stationery and printed collateral including letterhead, cards, and branded materials
Forest texture background with Speckled Ax logotype overlaid, referencing brand environment
Speckled Ax website homepage shown with coffee cup imagery and brand navigation
Close-up shot of hard-wood blackened charcoals burning for Speckled Ax Coffee brand texture and atmosphere

Brand Identity & Creative Direction

Our branding and creative direction focused on authenticity and craft. We created a visual identity system that evokes Maine’s forests and the manual wood-roasting tradition—balancing rugged warmth with refined design. Every element, from typography and layout to palette and iconography, reinforces Speckled Ax’s story and distinct positioning.

Logo Design & Visual Language

The logo design features clean form and purpose-driven geometry that gives the brand a confident mark. Supporting the logo, we developed the primary visual language of Maine woods centric colors, patterns, icons, illustrations, and textures designed to carry the identity across print, packaging, and digital media with consistency and poise.

Packaging & Application

We translated the visual identity into a full packaging system that enabled the brand to stand out on shelf and communicate its story at a glance. With distinctive materials, varnishes, inks, custom sizes, deliberate composition, and design cues inspired by the roaster’s technique, the owner’s passion for the outdoors, and the Maine landscape, every package reinforces the brand’s craftsmanship, quality, and award-winning status.

Digital Experience

The digital assets bring the brand to life online with intentional layout, storytelling, and visual rhythm. Working from the identity system, we ensured the digital experience feels aligned with the physical brand: clear, warm, and thoughtfully unified.

Deliverables

  • Brand Strategy & Visual Identity System

  • Custom Logo, Mark Suite & Typographic Language

  • Award-Winning Packaging System for Bagged Coffee & Product Lines

  • Print Collateral & Merchandising Materials (cards, tags, apparel)

  • Website & Digital Branding Assets (layout styling, social graphics, email)

  • Retail Display & Shelf Presentation Design

  • Seasonal & Limited Edition Packaging Variants

  • Brand Guidelines & Asset Library for Ongoing Use

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