PULLPOOL turns coffee brewing rituals into STANBRU’s brand language

There’s something irresistible about a coffee brand brief – especially when it comes with a proper challenge attached. When LOTTE GRS approached STUDIO PULLPOOL with STANBRU, they weren’t asking for just another café concept. They wanted to crack one of the toughest nuts in branding: how do you make a meaningful impact in South Korea’s absolutely jam-packed coffee market? The challenge was delicious in its complexity. Korea’s coffee scene is a designer’s playground and nightmare rolled into one – from international giants to hyper-local roastery darlings, every conceivable angle has been explored. “The Korean coffee market is already saturated with global franchises and local specialty cafés,” explains Jeon Hyeonjong, Founder & Creative Director of PULLPOOL. “For this reason, STANBRU focused on building a distinctive identity as ‘brewed coffee for everyday life,’ rather than becoming just another café.” That phrase became the heartbeat of everything PULLPOOL created. It’s not about positioning STANBRU as the most premium or the most artisanal. Instead, they’re carving out territory that feels refreshingly honest: quality coffee that doesn’t require a special occasion or a hefty bank balance. The visual language starts with something every coffee lover recognises – the dripper. But PULLPOOL didn’t just slap a dripper shape onto a business card and call it done. The logo draws from the dripper’s form, yes, but it becomes something more poetic. “It is not just a graphic element, but a visual expression of the intentional and repeated ritual of making coffee,” Hyeonjong notes. “The rhythm of a single drop and the circular flow of coffee were extended into the graphic system, making the brewing process itself the foundation of the identity.” There’s something beautifully methodical about this approach – taking that meditative, repetitive act of brewing and letting it inform the entire ecosystem. The logo isn’t screaming for attention; it’s quietly confident, like that friend who always makes the best coffee without making a big deal about it.