Starbucks is the world’s largest coffeehouse chain and one of the most recognisable consumer brands on the planet. The brief was not to introduce Starbucks to shoppers, they already knew the name. It was to drive awareness and trial of the Starbucks ready-to-drink (RTD) chilled coffee range in grocery retail across Northern Ireland, where the brand was competing for shelf and mental space against established supermarket and competitor products.
In-store retail activation is a discipline where creative ambition frequently collides with practical constraint. The environment is noisy, dwell time is short, and the brand has to make its case in seconds. Added to that was brand guardianship: Starbucks operates with strict global brand guidelines, so every piece had to feel unmistakably Starbucks while being built for a local retail context.
Gone Rogue developed the ‘Lift Up the Everyday’ retail activation for the Starbucks RTD chilled coffee range, positioning it as a small, affordable upgrade to the everyday, an accessible premium rather than an indulgence. The creative was designed for a full suite of touchpoints: double-sided rollup banners in multiple sizes, a branded counter display unit with header panel, tent cards for point-of-sale placement, printed bag inserts for sampling, and branded aprons for in-store staff. Each format worked on its own and as a system, holding full Starbucks brand compliance while carrying the visual energy to cut through a busy supermarket.
Following its success, Gone Rogue delivered a second RTD activation, ‘Time for a Pick Me Up’. Built on the same strategic idea with fresh artwork, it extended the range’s presence across the same retail system and into a new moment, giving Starbucks a repeatable platform rather than a one-off.
Together, two activation suites gave the Starbucks RTD range a distinctive, on-brand presence at the point of sale across Northern Ireland grocery. They show Gone Rogue’s ability to work within tight global brand governance from a major client while delivering creative that performs commercially, and to evolve a proven idea across repeat activations.
Discipline
Retail Activation, Point of Sale, Brand Compliance
Services
- Campaign concept development
- Retail activation design (rollup banners, counter displays, POS)
- Branded merchandise design (aprons, bag inserts)
- Brand compliance management
- Print production management
