Most people are inspired by the caffeine kick that a good Costa coffee gives them in the morning. But one Maltese graphic designer – Alisa Pavia – recently took that inspiration to a whole new level when she used us as her muse for a beautiful range of Costa-centric illustrations, which she submitted as part of her final MCAST thesis project.
“I absolutely love Costa,” Alisa says, adding that she and her boyfriend (who used to work as a barista) visit one of the outlets almost every day. “So I thought it would be fun to incorporate the brand into the final project for my graphic design degree.
“At the time I was under the impression that there weren’t many brands using illustrations as part of their advertising campaigns, which encouraged me to learn more about it. I was actually enthused when I saw that Costa was already using some illustration work in its general design, which meant its customers might already be used to the sort of style I had in mind.”
Alisa contacted the Costa team and was thrilled when we were as eager to see her ideas, as she was to create them. So, the next step was for her to draft hand-drawn sketches – which were immediately loved – and which set her on the road towards the final designs we have now.
“Meeting the Costa team was a definite highlight of this whole process, and I was very much inspired by their enthusiasm and love for the brand,” she continues.
As Costa had a summer campaign going, Alisa and the team decided that she would create illustrations of each lifestyle drink represented by a ‘Costa girl’ in a Maltese location – whether on the beach or walking through a town or village. As a result, five characters were born, each with their own distinct personality – and their own favourite drink!
“The five women are all very different – there’s a sophisticated lady drinking iced latte in Valletta, a ‘girly girl’ drinking iced-tea in Marsaxlokk, a bubbly girl on St George’s Bay beach with her frostino, a hippy-style girl with a smoothie in Sliema and, finally, a hipster girl standing on the LOVE statue in St Julian’s holding a cooler. It was such fun coming up with personalities to suit each of the summer drinks,” Alisa smiles.
Now, those designs are being used as part of the Costa social media plan which will soon be visible on Facebook – and could even go on to be used in stores. “That would be absolutely brilliant!” Alisa continues. “Like I said, I love Costa and think the brand is fantastic. I think it has changed the way people see coffee in Malta – it’s no longer about having a quick cappuccino and rushing off, Costa has become a place to work and hang out, which is very interesting from a commercial perspective.
“I’d like to think my designs help to reflect the many different people that enjoy Costa coffee on a daily basis – it’s certainly an honour to be part of the brand’s story,” she adds.
To see more of Alisa’s work, check out her website: www.alisapavia.com