Branding: Ampersand Bulb Co.

We’ve been really fortunate to partner with the FORCE that is Linda D’Arco of Little Farmhouse Flowers on quite a few branding projects now. We’re big fans of Linda because she knows how to get things done and done right: she’ll throw an idea out into the world, make a plan, work really hard, manifest, and bam - whatever she dreamed up is reality, and it is always really good.

So when Linda told us she wanted to create a separate wholesale bulb business, we were all ears. Through her work with The Tulip Workshop and Little Farmhouse Flowers Pro, she knew the pain points and desires of flower farmers across the globe, and she had her own frustrations with corporate, clunky catalog businesses. Linda wanted to build something accessible, high quality, customer-centric, and of course - beautiful. It was going to be called Ampersand Bulb Co.

Bulb catalogs have a long, rich history, and Linda wanted to draw inspiration for the branding from Victorian-era catalogs: decorative lettering, colorful illustrations, swashes and serifs. This heritage seems to have been completely lost on today’s very sterile looking bulb catalogs, and Linda saw the perfect opportunity to bring personality back into the wholesale landscape.

So for the primary logo, we focused heavily on custom lettering and integrating illustrations and color in a meaningful way, marrying Victorian design ideals with a modern look and feel.

From there, we could build a brand that carried the aesthetic effectively, and told the story of a bulb company approaching the business in a new and improved way.

Typography was so much fun to play around with here, and we developed several taglines and call-outs with the catalog setting in mind.

Linda gets just as excited about merch as we do - and she wanted to get cheeky with it this time. We created a bunch of punny merchandise for the bulb lovers out there.

And my personal favorite - the packing tape! Linda ships thousands of bulbs around the world and they are going to arrive looking spiffy.

We are so happy to see Ampersand Bulb Co. out in the world now, and we’re so grateful for yet another collaboration with Linda. Happy fall planting!

Campaign Design: The Northampton Sidewalk Sales

The city of Northampton has become something of a branding playground for us. We’re so grateful many small businesses that call the city home have trusted us with their brand identities - like Familiars, 25 Central, and Firetype - and we’ve also had the opportunity to create cohesive, fun marketing campaigns for events like Summer on Strong and the DNA’s holiday shopping initiative. What a privilege to make cool things for the city we love!

Northampton’s annual Sidewalk Sales event is pretty iconic, a decades-long tradition of supporting local shops out in the sunshine each July. The sales are the best all year, and shoppers come from miles around to take advantage of the deals. We were thrilled at the opportunity to create branding and marketing materials that would unite participating shops, and create the feeling of a big celebration all weekend long.

We created a brand identity, custom illustrations, poster, postcards, website, and lots of other fun little details and goodies to arm downtown shops with, and generate lots of excitement around the weekend.

The big sale kicks off this Thursday and runs through the weekend - don’t miss out! Visit northamptonsidewalksales.com to plan your day.

Brand Refresh: Florence Pie Bar

I remember when I first discovered the Florence Pie Bar, probably around 2014ish, fresh out of college. It was definitely one of my earlier perceptions of good local branding: the name alone intrigued me, the handmade pies filled with local ingredients were picture perfect, and the little Accidentally Wes Anderson building just begged to be Instagrammed. It was more than a place to buy a pie, it was a feeling. That feeling resonated widely, as the bakery quickly became an iconic spot in Western Massachusetts, drawing visitors from miles away and the neighborhood regulars alike.

What happy news when we heard that our good friends at Familiars Coffee & Tea were to become the new proprietors of The Pie Bar - and how honored we were to be asked to collaborate on a brand refresh for the business. This definitely felt like a bit of a delicate job; it was top priority to maintain that feeling customers had come to know and love so well - after all, the recipes, location, and pies weren’t changing - but it was also important to announce this new chapter, highlight expanded offerings, and most fully tell the story of a beloved local bakery.

The logo was first to be considered. The original font and brand colors held up, but we needed a more visually balanced and versatile layout to work across a variety of applications:

A round stamp-type mark did the job, complete with a hand drawn pie. This set the tone for some expanded branding, as we created a whole new toolbox of elements to tell the Pie Bar story.

Secondary logos made the branding even more versatile…

And you can bet we were ready to go crazy on illustrations here. Spoons, whisks, bowls, hand pies…

of course the iconic storefront…

…and obviously some tattooed Pie Ladies. Obviously! It’s a whole gritty sexy retro-glam vibe, inspired by the badass baker herself.

We threw around lots of punny pie taglines but it came down to some pretty direct verbiage:

After all, MORE PIE IS BETTER!

Applying the polished up branding, there were some practical matters to attend to. The Pie Bar has posted a daily menu on social media since always, which customers have become accustomed to checking before their visits. We gave that a serious glow up, fully branding the template while still keeping it simple enough to easily update daily.

The pastry cases needed cute labels highlighting daily confections and pie flavors, so a template was made for those as well:

And, the cherry on top: a full color coffee sleeve featuring all of the illustrations. The back features a neat little area for writing in the customer’s name or a cheeky little note.

Finally, we incorporated this branding into a delectable website, fully telling the story of The Pie Bar, showcasing all of their offerings, and clearly directing to online orders in a user-friendly manner.

Like I said, this project was a distinct honor to be involved in, and we are absolutely thrilled for our friends Danny & Isaac in this wonderful new expansion. Go check out the refreshed Pie Bar as soon as you possibly can - we can indeed confirm the chocolate pecan pie alone is truly a whole feeling.

Branding: Tip Top Wine Shop

Easthampton has become very cool in the last decade or so – we have so many favorite spots in that town these days. One thing it was lacking was a very cool wine shop; a void that Lauren Clark and Miranda Brown fortunately recognized and decided to address. We were thrilled for good wine – and even more thrilled to create the branding for this shop.

 This weekend was the grand opening of Tip Top Wine Shop over in the Paragon Arts & Industry Building and it was so fun to see it all come together.

The primary logo set the tone for the project right away: retro, but not too retro. We pulled a lot of inspiration from vintage cocktail napkins, neon signs, matchbooks, and old print ads – and then modernized it all a bit.

 We made this brand nice and versatile with some secondary logo variations. The main “Tip Top” wordmark features my own hand lettering – something I’ve always been a little tentative with, but find I’m getting justtttt comfortable enough with to be dangerous.

And then we went pretty wild building out all the fun little brand details. I think we could have gone forever on taglines, illustrations, etc. on this one.

A little illustration of Mount Tom is by far our favorite element. The shop has a picture-perfect view of the iconic mountain, and we couldn’t resist adding in a little tipsy humor. Worked perfectly on merch!

 A little humor became a theme actually, subtly sprinkled into just the right places.

 Application of these elements was awesome to see; our trusted collaborator Jess at Hired Hand Signs turned the logo into a  stunning hand painted sign, and the wordmark suited a neon entrance sign just perfectly.

 And this one just about did us in: a branded entryway mosaic!!!!!

The details really made this project special, and it was a treat to see them all come together in an exciting new space. We’re so excited for Miranda and Lauren, and for the Easthampton community - Tip Top is very cool. Stop in and find your new favorite wine!

Branding: Sawmill River Arts Collective

Collaborating with other creatives always makes for a fun project – so when the folks at Sawmill River Arts Collective got in touch about reimagining their brand, we were thrilled to start passing ideas back and forth. Sawmill River Arts is a collective of 15 local artists and makers in Montague, Mass.

This group of artists has established a reputation for creative excellence in the Pioneer Valley; visitors will find an incredible breadth of work over a range of mediums on display. And the location can’t be beat: housed in the magical Montague Bookmill complex, the gallery is perched just above a rushing waterfall on the Sawmill River, with endless natural inspiration just outside their windows.

Established over a decade ago, the Sawmill River Arts has grown and developed into a full creative experience, often featuring guest artists, hosting trunk shows and creative events, and expanding their offerings to suit all kinds of visitors, whether it’s an art collector or someone looking for a unique gift. It felt like the right time to consider their branding, and how it could more broadly speak to all of the audiences engaging with the gallery, unite the wide variety of artists it represents, and communicate all that the collective now offers the community.

A strong sense of place came up again and again as we set our strategy; the special location is often what first entices newcomers to visit the gallery. The river, the natural beauty, and the history of the iconic mill building were themes we wanted to mindfully integrate, and we made sure they came together meaningfully in our primary logo:

From there, we developed secondary logos and brand elements that told a story beyond the location: collaboration, community, and creativity were all key themes.

We also wanted to create some very practical branding tools that could be used on social media, their website, and in marketing materials. Highlighting upcoming events and guest artists called for some easy-to-use badges that carried the branding consistently.

Business cards really brought the branding together in a cohesive way for all of the artists…

…and a common goal was articulated clearly in a series of taglines. This one is perhaps our favorite:

We were certainly feeling inspired after this one. Be sure to follow Sawmill River Arts Collective to gather some inspiration for yourself - and definitely take a ride over to Montague and experience this magical spot.

Branding: Finch Flower Co.

Flowers have certainly been a big theme for many of our branding endeavors this year – but there was one floral-themed project in particular that we couldn’t wait to get started on. Nina got in touch back in the spring with an idea that made us just giddy: an antique flower truck! She had just secured the keys for a 1957 Ford F100, and was ready to launch her dream business, Finch Flower Co, here in Western Massachusetts.

The image of locally-grown bouquets adorning the bed of this cream-colored vintage pick-up was nothing short of inspiring, and we wanted to complement that iconic look with branding that told the full story of a unique business.

Starting with the logo, it was all romance and floral wildness centered around a signature finch.

We built off that ethereal look and feel to both tell the story of the truck – affectionately called “Birdie”! – and create a memorable aesthetic. Secondary logos, custom illustrations, brand marks, monograms, call-outs, and a fun pattern all came together to do the job.

All of these elements were designed with application top-of-mind, as customer experience was at the center of the business. We wanted every interaction with the flower truck to be special and memorable, and looked to achieve that in the details of the bouquet packaging and truck adornments.

A custom A-frame chalk board and subtle, elegant truck signage made for a versatile and flawless presentation at events.

Gilded business cards really elevated the whole look and feel - there’s nothing like seeing your logo set in gold foil!!!

Custom floral tissue was a place where we really maximized the floral illustrations into a repeat brand pattern - and then subdued it just a bit by pairing it with a more neutral brown kraft paper.

It was fun to sprinkle our little finch throughout this brand!

The silk floral ribbon may be our most favorite element of this project - elegantly tying it all together, quite literally. Paired with a tag (which doubles as a mini business card!) each bouquet really delivers the full brand experience in a tasteful way.

We couldn’t have been more pleased with the way this brand came together. It has been so much fun to see Nina and Birdie out on the road this summer, at events and gatherings all over the Pioneer Valley. Follow her travels over on instagram and learn more about booking the truck for events on the Finch Flower Co. website - designed and developed by our trusted partner, Emily King at Wheel Horse Digital!

Thank you Nina for this incredible vision - it was a thrill to help bring it to life and we are so glad to have this gem of a small business in our community!

Campaign Design: Amherst Area Chamber of Commerce

Branding for cities and towns has become one of our most favorite areas of design - especially when it’s local. Amherst, Massachusetts is a city near to our hearts, offering a dynamic mix of small town community, big city culture, deep rooted agriculture, and outdoor adventure. I can’t think of a better date night than seeing a Wes Anderson movie at the Amherst Cinema and then getting a slice of pizza at Antonio’s.

The Amherst Area Chamber of Commerce does incredible work in promoting all that Amherst and its surrounding towns have to offer, helping to make local businesses, events, and initiatives visible and engage residents and visitors alike. They wanted to channel that sense of community into a visual campaign, and we were thrilled to illustrate many of our favorite local landmarks.

How many buildings can you name? Here we’ll help, from left to right: the aforementioned Cinema, town hall, The Emily Dickinson Museum, The Inn on Boltwood…plus, we sprinkled lots of little hidden gems in here: there’s a Very Hungry Caterpillar, a spotted lizard, pennants for the three colleges that call Amherst area home, a gear from the mills in North Amherst, a friendly dairy cow - and many more!

This was designed with a postcard application in mind - Greetings from Amherst!

And translated nicely to lamp post banners throughout downtown Amherst. It’s been such a treat to see them all up, highlighting the local businesses and organizations that make Amherst so cool.

It’s such a privilege to create work for the places we know and love, sharing our perspective on Western Mass with the community. Thank you to the Amherst Area Chamber of Commerce for such a fun project!

Branding: Little Farmhouse Flowers

Continuing right along with our flower farm themed spring - next up we have Little Farmhouse Flowers, tucked away in the Adirondacks of New York. Linda D’Arco is one-half of The Tulip Workshop, and saw an opportunity to further develop the brand of her own farm, too, considering how it had evolved and grown over the past few years.

Before she became a flower farmer and floral designer, Linda was a teacher, and she has found her passion for education and sharing skills resurfacing in exciting ways. Through Little Farmhouse Flowers, she offers the chance for other farmer-florists to discover ways to grow both their floral crops and their businesses, through initiatives such as workshop opportunities, the @littlefarmhouseflowerspro subscription, and one-on-one consultations.

As Linda shifts focus to these educational aspects of her business, we wanted to make sure her branding was communicating those values, and connecting with the appropriate audiences.

We started with a barn swallow, a long-standing symbol for Little Farmhouse Flowers, and evolved it into an eye-catching, versatile logo that expanded nicely into a larger brand that really tells the full story of the farm.

The pattern is one of my favorite elements from this project - and works so well on kraft floral wrap.

We also created elements specifically for Linda’s signature workshop, The Cold Climate Rose Grower’s Program - including a ‘Rosarian’ badge that became fun stickers for flower farmers who completed the workshop!

Thank you Linda for such a fun and inspiring project! We love to see farms thinking about how their skills are shared and passed down - and Linda is doing that in a really inspiring way. Check out Little Farmhouse Flowers and follow all of the floral beauty over on Instagram to learn more.

Branding: The Tulip Workshop

It’s always pleasant to work on flower farm brands, but it is particularly satisfying to be drawing nothing but flowers right on the cusp of spring. We’ve had a slew of flower-themed projects coming our way lately, and it just really fits the mood as my tulips are popping up from the ground.

Tulips have been top of mind especially these past few months. I couldn’t help but notice a trend over the winter, as many of my beloved flower farm clients were harvesting armfuls of homegrown tulips on the coldest, darkest days of the year. Turns out they had all taken the same course with The Tulip Workshop - a collaboration between Linda D’Arco of Little Farmhouse Flowers, and Emily von Trapp of von Trapp Flowers.

When Linda and Emily got in touch about branding their workshop series, along with their respective flower farms, I have to say was a little starstruck, dabbling in cut flowers myself. These two are complete powerhouse growers and I really admire the businesses they’ve built.

I’m thrilled we’re now wrapping up all three projects just in time for spring! First, I want to share our work on The Tulip Project, which was all about the partnership of these two awesome women sharing knowledge, building a community, and learning from one another.

This was so lovely to work on, and it’s been exciting to start seeing the new brand reaching the vast network of students benefiting from The Tulip Workshop courses. We’ll be sharing branding for Linda and Emily’s own farms in the coming weeks - happy spring!

Winning Work at the 2022 Ad Club of Western Mass Creative Awards!

What a pleasure to announce that several of our recent projects were recognized as award-winning at the 2022 Ad Club of Western Massachusetts Creative Awards!

First up: a SILVER award in the category of Integrated Advertising Campaign for our work on the Downtown Northampton Association Holiday Campaign!

A Bronze award was earned for the BIG SIGN we designed for 25 Central!

Another BRONZE in Packaging Design for the Thomas Farm & Dairy cheese labels!

And finally, one more BRONZE in Brand Identity Design for Summer on Strong!

We are so proud of this work and grateful for all the client collaboration that went into making each project great - and we’re especially proud that these are all LOCAL projects! It means the world to be able to help the small businesses, organizations, and farms that make up our community SHINE. Thank you to our beloved clients at The Downtown Northampton Association, 25 Central, Thomas Farm & Dairy, and Summer on Strong for putting your trust in us and believing in us - it is an absolute privilege to work with each of you.