How to design seasonal cold coffee cups
We’ve all seen seasonal designs on hot coffee cups for gingerbread and pumpkin spice lattes, especially in winter. However, as cold coffee becomes more popular as a year-round drink, it might make sense to create seasonal designs for cold coffee cups, too.
This could be a summer cold brew tonic recipe or even a signature-flavoured iced latte or cappuccino. Whatever the beverage, consumers expect to drink their coffee their way – and coffee brands have an obligation to meet that demand.
To learn more, we spoke to Katerina Borodich, CEO of Drinkit Dubai. She told us how they use branded cups to promote their digital-first locations in Dubai, Moscow, and Astana. Read on to find out what she said.
Customised cold coffee cups: Portable branding that stands out
Branded coffee cups are an important part of what makes a coffee brand recognisable. They are portable, recognisable, and ubiquitous. Consider how many times you’ve seen coffee cups from some of the world’s biggest coffee brands like Starbucks, Costa Coffee, or Lavazza. Unlike many other products that are hidden in your bag or your home, coffee brands have the advantage of free advertising when customers choose to-go coffee orders.
For small and medium-sized coffee brands, you can still gain brand awareness if you choose an eye-catching design. Use colour, graphics, and fonts to your advantage to create a bold style. New trends for each year, like emerging colours, can help you stay on trend. Pantone’s 2025 colour of the year was just announced, and it’s Mocha Mousse – a perfect match for coffee.
Katerina explains that Drinkit’s logo is a modern, high-contrast blue and white design of a whale – and that it stands out thanks to this design.
She says, “Branded cups serve as portable advertisements, enhancing brand visibility and recognition as customers use them in public spaces. You can often see Drinkit cups on UAE Instagram accounts.“
Choosing the right material for cold coffee cups is important
There are many factors to consider when selecting materials for cold beverage cups. Cups need to be functional – they have to keep the coffee cold, prevent spills, and be easy to hold in your hand. Also, consider if you need a domed lid to allow for toppings like cream and cold foam. Will a flat lid work?
You also want to think about the overall aesthetic and what that communicates about your brand. Different materials can affect how many colours you can print on it or how vibrant they are. Price can also be a factor in the print size area, so designs that work in a small size area will keep costs down.
Sustainability is something else to consider when choosing materials for cold beverage cups. Cups are a high-volume item for coffee businesses, and any steps toward materials that use less waste or are recyclable can contribute to overall sustainability goals.
Companies often carefully design their hot coffee cups, but cold coffee is equally important. Cold drinks now account for a large percentage of coffee shops’ sales worldwide.
“Cold beverages are a significant sales segment for Drinkit year-round, including the winter season. Share jumps from 25% to 30%, the highest peak, of course, in the summer season,” Katerina adds.
Seasonal designs can work for cold coffee cups, too
For extra emphasis on new menu items, you can create a seasonal design for cold beverage cups or choose a design that has versatility across seasonal campaigns. Drinkit has an extensive winter drinks menu, with a theme of green, red, white, and metallic accents tying it all together.
“Ginger is on the top this year, so I bet that it will be quite popular in the country. Iced Gingerbread Latte shows good traction for Drinkit, so I wish it the best of luck,” Katerina adds.
However, cold coffee beverages are becoming more prominent year-round rather than just in warmer weather, which presents a unique challenge. It might not always be practical to create a new design for each season. Rather than printing directly onto clear cold coffee cups, you can use branded sleeves to make them equally visible without potentially wasting stock—but you need to consider that not every customer will use them.
No matter whether you choose to use sleeves or print directly onto custom cold coffee cups, you need to work with the right partner. This means capitalising on benefits like low minimum order quantities (MOQs), worldwide shipping, and competitive pricing. Whether you’re sourcing cold coffee cups for the summer season or looking to bring them in year-round, they can be a crucial marketing tool.
At Cold Brew Pak, we offer a range of custom cold coffee cups and other similar products. If you’re interested in learning more about them, get in touch with our team today.
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