Angel & Anchor x noissue

2025 marks A&A’s fourth year as the official creative partner of the World AeroPress Championship, and this time they cued up a 70’s revival as the world’s best brewers took the floor in Seoul, South Korea.

This underground competition takes on a fresh new identity every year, bringing an alternative playful edge to the somewhat-serious international coffee scene.

For 2025 A&A embraced Seoul’s vinyl revival to capture the electric energy and rhythm of Aeropress. Throwing it all the way back to the golden age of disco they channelled 70’s dancehalls and a Studio 54 attitude to create an identity just like the coffees - smooth, funky, bold and bright.

Inspired by the aesthetics of album covers and gig posters A&A used bold, chunky typefaces and a luxurious colour palette to find that distinct retro balance between playfulness and effortless style.

The competition logos feature fat geometric curves and a glittering disco ball mark that would look equally at home representing an independent label. The brand’s digital rollout takes cues from vinyl sleeves and cassette tapes, capturing the nostalgic tactility of collectable analog media.

With No Issue on board as sponsors, the 2025 World AeroPress Championship presented A&A with an exciting opportunity to design fully custom coffee packaging that really shows off what’s possible. The result is a richly layered experience that goes beyond function, using structure, materiality, and retro-inspired references to extend the world of the brand identity.

The outer box is a bold and larger-than-life object. A&A’s concept of a ‘dismantled lava lamp’ can be seen in the silver metallic box base and the vibrant yellow-orange gradient lid. Clean black typography grounds the colour with confidence, while the metallic accents add a sharp, reflective contrast that elevates the structure beyond standard packaging.

Designed for use at the event, the box is a sculptural design object rather than a simple carton. Celebratory and premium it sets the stage for the tension and excitement of the competition’s action.

The coffee bag is crisp and graphic. The unique square format features circular typography and forms echoing the shape of vinyl records, their central label, and subtle groove-like details. Silver foil elements tie the bag back to the box, acting as a visual bridge between the two pieces, while the minimal palette ensures the bag feels iconic and collectible in its own right.