• by Teresa Buyikian , October 14, 2025

Many an iced coffee has been ruined by quickly melting ice, diluting it to a sad, undrinkable state. 

Bad Ass Coffee of Hawaii has had the solution to this problem since the ‘90s, but is only now promoting it on a national level. The chain’s latest campaign touts ice cubes made out of its own coffee, which are used in all iced drinks, thus preventing any chance of a wasteful watered-down joe.

The Bad Ass Coffee “Rescube” Program, created with Brooklyn, NY agency Bam Connection, invites consumers to post a pic of their “melted, diluted ice coffee found in the wild” on their socials with the tag #BadAssCoffee, awarding select posters a discount code toward a Bad Ass Coffee purchase (the brand also sells coffee online).A social and CTV video, seen here, bemoans the sorry state of diluted brews with images of abandoned iced coffees IRL, ending with Bad Ass Coffee’s coffee ice cubes saving the day.

Bad Ass Coffee’s Chief Brand Officer Iain Douglas and BAM Connection’s Chief Creative Officer Rob Baiocco told QSR Insider about the campaign and expansion plans for the growing chain.

QSR Insider: Why promote the coffee cubes now?

Douglas: It is time for us to more broadly share our quality, attention to detail and our love of coffee with more people. It is also time to share the foundational elements that allow us to deliver a better Hawaiian coffee experience.

We were relatively quiet and small from 1989-2019, now with new ownership [the chain was bought by Royal Aloha Coffee Company in 2019] and inspired leadership, we are bringing the best of this truly badass brand to life. Talking about our distinct Badass Coffee Ice Cubes is just the beginning.

QSR Insider: How does the new creative reflect the brand?

Baiocco: It’s badass. Everything we do, we try to bring a degree of that: a boldness, with a wink to it. From a brand strategy perspective, their product is different from all the others out there. Coffee is coffee in many of the places, but they are Hawaiian and that comes with a whole different vibe and products. The coffee ice cubes are a great example of that.

QSR Insider: Tell me more about Bad Ass expansion plans beyond its current 30 locations across the U.S.

Douglas: It is a cool time for the brand. We will be opening 10 stores before the end of the year. We have another 15-20 already under way to open in early 2026, with a further 60 committed.

We are expanding rapidly with franchise territories nationally. Additionally, we also have a few other product and innovation surprises for our stores and other retail channels in the works.

QSR Insider: What's next for the chain?

Douglas: The goal is to bring our product, experience and kick-ass attitude toward life to more people. I have been fortunate to be part of building some great brands, but this one stands above because of its roots in quality Hawaiian coffee, including unprecedented partnerships with Hawaiian coffee farmers.

That’s combined with the inspiring message, beyond coffee, that we deliver. The promise to our guests we live by is to “empower and energize you to crush your day.” This is why we say: “Make it a Badass Day!” I think we can all do with a little more of this in our lives each day. We firmly believe everyone has a little badass in them. We see Bad Ass as more than coffee -- it's an identity.