Client: Contact Coffee Co
Project: Packaging design
Bringing indulgence to life with elite military heritage
In summer 2025, we were commissioned to design the packaging for Contact Coffee Co’s first move into a new product category, their ‘Cleared Hot’ Chocolate.
Where the advent calendar fused festive spirit with rugged grit, this project was about creating a product that could carry the same military toughness into a comfort classic, hot chocolate, without losing authenticity.
Design and Aesthetics
For ‘Cleared Hot’ Chocolate, the design direction had to strike the balance between indulgence and intensity. Rather than soft, generic chocolate branding, we created a visual language that speaks to Contact Coffee’s commando DNA. The packaging uses bold typography, military-inspired insignia, and a stripped-back palette that feels both premium and mission-ready.
The name itself, Cleared Hot, a phrase used in military aviation to signal authorisation to fire, adds an edge of action and immediacy. This phrase became the anchor of the design, with type and layout choices echoing briefing documents and field manuals, reinforcing the disciplined, no-nonsense identity of the brand.
Simplified Usability
Just as a hot ‘wet’ can be a moment of morale on operations, this product was designed to deliver comfort quickly and effectively. The packaging is compact, easy to use, and travel-friendly, with every detail reflecting efficiency. Whether at home, on exercise, or out in the wild, ‘Cleared Hot’ Chocolate is as straightforward to prepare as it is satisfying to drink.
Storytelling and Military Heritage
Like every Contact Coffee project, the storytelling runs deeper than the surface design. Cleared Hot Chocolate reimagines a traditional indulgence through the lens of military resilience, creating a product that feels authentic to both veterans and civilians alike. It’s a nod to those rare moments of calm in demanding environments, when sharing a hot drink with your team means everything.
By launching this new category, Contact Coffee Co demonstrates not just a bold expansion beyond coffee, but also the adaptability and ambition that has defined the Royal Marines for generations. The result is more than just hot chocolate, it’s a product rooted in heritage, discipline, and the pursuit of excellence.
