The Art of Coffee-Making: Roy Productions’ Unique Take on Kicking Horse Coffee’s Branding Video

Coffee culture is not only about getting a delicious caffeine boost; it has come to include the social behaviours and traditions surrounding how we consume coffee, and those distinctions are how we position coffee brands in the marketplace. 

Kicking Horse Coffee: a Canadian brand known for its commitment to organic and fair-trade beans in the heart of the Rocky Mountains. Voted the Best Place to Work in Canada, and hired Roy Productions to create a video ad.

The assignment: Show the story behind every cup of their “100% kick-ass beans”.

The Technical Challenge Going from Macro to Micro

You might think that the technical challenge was reversing the coffee beam spill clip so that it looks like the coffee beans are spilling into the bag. But the transition between shooting macro, from the bag of coffee spilling, to micro, getting that single bean in perfect focus, requires precision, patience, and a keen eye for detail. “Timing the shot so that the camera goes from focusing on the coffee bag to the coffee bean took 3 hours to shoot. Just that one shot. But for the results, it was worth it.”

Impact on Brand Perception

The video’s sensory journey emphasizes the quality and care that goes into every bag of Kicking Horse coffee. It takes us from bean to cup, showcasing the complete experience we can expect from a perfect single, kick-ass bean. The lighting and the way the video was shot give us a sense of the natural and rustic tradition associated with the coffee roasting process. The video also highlights the connection between the coffee beans’ quality and the product packaging that buyers receive.

A Testament to Creativity in Branding

Since no other coffee brand had used this technique previously, Nathaniel’s video made the brand stand out in a market full of competition through this declaration of values: Kicking Horse Coffee’s dedication to quality in a way that was memorable, inspiring brand loyalty.

The video was more than a marketing tool; it was a declaration of quality, a glimpse into the brand’s soul, and a signal to consumers that with Kicking Horse Coffee, they’re not just buying a product but becoming part of a story.