Costa Coffee
Social Playbook
A 91-page brand governance system that defined how a complex new visual identity should behave across 14 asset categories and every major social platform.
the brief
Costa Coffee had just completed a full rebrand. The new identity was expressive — a wide colour palette, strong typography, and a signature wave motif. The problem: no rules existed for how any of it should work in practice. Without clear governance, the same brand would look like different brands depending on who was executing it.
what I did
Working independently, I built a 91-page Social Brand Playbook covering 14 content categories — from logo application and colour to lifestyle photography, video and motion, influencer content, product presentation, social headers, and collaboration formats.
The wave was the central design challenge. Costa's signature element was visually powerful but structurally undisciplined — without constraints it consumed every layout. I defined the rules that kept it present without letting it dominate.
I also built a full motion template system in After Effects: content containers in 1×1 and 9×16, decorative background waves, product reveals, uplift devices, end frames, and lockup rules. The wave movement was fixed across all templates — not open to interpretation.
scope & scale
91
Content categories: event promotions, platform insights, industry updates, client showcases, creative tips and tricks, data cards
14
Aspect ratios per category — 1:1 · 5:4 · 4:5 · 9:16
2
After Effects motion template system with locked wave movement across all formats
Solo
Built and delivered independently from brief to handoff
the result
Costa's FMCG team could execute a live multi-channel summer campaign across every social platform without returning to the agency for guidance.
