COSTA COFFEE
Turning a Cup of Coffee into a Catalyst for Change
Background
Representation of people with visible disabilities is under 1% across media. We also uncovered that art offers a powerful, safe and accessible outlet for self-expression, boosting confidence, resilience and emotional wellbeing. Five Acre Wood’s Silver Artsmark Award recognises their use of creative practice to unlock young people’s potential, making art the perfect lens to tell this story.
Client challenge
As part of Costa’s community programme, the brand wanted to highlight its commitment to supporting local communities, with a focus on enabling children’s education. The Five Acre Wood carriage café project showcases how practical, real-life experiences can help young people develop skills that last far beyond school.
Our Solution
We brought “Through the Eyes of a Child” to life through a two-day shoot designed to tell the Costa Carriage story entirely from the pupils’ perspective.
Our in-house production team handled creative direction, filming, photography, and editing, ensuring a warm, authentic tone throughout. We captured the art class where children created cup-shaped canvases to express what the carriage means to them, shooting at child’s-eye level to immerse viewers in their world.
Peer-to-peer conversations revealed personal impact, while stakeholder interviews added context around skills development.
On day two, we captured candid, unscripted moments – students laughing, learning, and interacting alongside b-roll of the carriage café in action. Post-production combined long and short-form edits, optimised for multiple platforms, resulting in a rich content suite rooted in the voices of those it was made to celebrate.
The results
The campaign boosted FAW’s visibility and engagement both within the school and across the wider community, resulting in a local grand opening festival covered by BBC News. It inspired greater community involvement and recognition for inclusive training opportunities, prompting curriculum changes to allow more students to join the café academy. It also deepened the emotional connection between Costa, FAW and their audiences, leading Costa to expand its community programme with a tailored Roastery apprenticeship for young people with additional needs.
The campaign showed how thoughtful, authentic storytelling can inspire inclusion, amplify underrepresented voices and demonstrate a brand’s commitment to social impact – cementing Costa’s role as an enabler of brighter futures.
“Your care, energy and flexibility shone through from start to finish. You built real relationships with our pupils, brought out the best in them, and made the whole experience so much fun. I can’t wait to see the final film – I know it’ll capture the spirit of our pupils and partnership perfectly."
- Tim Williams | Head Teacher, Five Acre Wood
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