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: 25 Central

Surely every Western Mass Girl remembers her first visit to Thornes Marketplace, babysitting cash burning a hole in that knock-off Coach bag. I think I was in eighth grade or so, and a whole new level of cool christened me as I pushed open those swinging doors and shuffled down the creaky hallway - this was no Holyoke Mall. I remember following my gaggle of friends straight to the back corner of the first floor - there was a fall dance on Friday and we were going to 25 Central.

25 Central never lost its cool factor. Whether it was a flirty dress, a quirky scarf, or a little bling - there was always something to catch my eye when I visited the shop here and there over the next two decades of womanhood.

So, when Katie - the shop’s fabulous proprietor - called me up back in the spring with some big news, middle-school me did a happy dance.

25 Central was making a big move over the summer - straight out to Main Street. Katie had taken ownership of the Northampton shop about five years earlier, and had been working on growing the brand, expanding the inventory, and keeping things young, hip, and fresh. 25 Central has been around since the 80’s, and Katie’s hard work was feeling hidden way in the back of Thornes. She found the perfect storefront, signed on the dotted line, and her next big project was a rebrand. I couldn’t have been more excited!

When Katie and I chatted about the look and feel of 25 Central over the years, there was one iconic element to the scattered branding that customers knew and loved: the store’s leopard print shopping bags. This gave me an idea that I was thrilled Katie was willing to run with:

This chic leopard. She was going to be the mascot for our brand, and help bring some well-deserved attention to the new 25 Central.

I let the rest of the branding be inspired by Katie’s bubbly personality. Her enthusiasm is what makes the store a truly fun place to be, and it’s what keeps customers coming back. She always has a great recommendation, knows how to brighten every shopper’s day, and was always telling me, “it needs more sparkle!!!!!” If that doesn’t sum up this brand, I don’t know what does.

We made some cute business cards, a gift card, and bunch of fun stickers…

…and the crown jewel: the storefront sign. We defied the downtown Northampton regulatory odds in making this giant, sparkling, party of a sign, and I am so glad we did. It’s bring the fun back to Main Street. Big thanks to Porcupine Signs for helping us bring this to life.

I love the way this brand came together because it exudes the personality of a business without reservation. It celebrates the shop’s beloved customers and the vibrant community it lives in, and gets everyone around it excited.

Thank you for an AMAZING project, Katie and 25 Central!!!!!

Branding: The Gilded Oyster

When Quinn’s Fine Jewelry closed its doors in my hometown of Wilbraham, everyone was sad. No more little green boxes under the Christmas tree! My father was perhaps the saddest, as Denise Quinn, the owner, had made anniversaries and birthdays very simple for him for years - he knew to always check my mom’s wish list for the perfect sparkly gift.

So Dad was awfully pleased when I told him Denise had gotten in touch with me about some branding - for her new shop on Cape Cod! After relocating to Falmouth, she and her husband Brian had the itch to have a storefront once again, this time embracing the heritage, culture, and aesthetic of the Cape that they love so much. They settled on the name The Gilded Oyster, in reference to an all-time favorite golden oyster piece her son had created. I rejoiced: gold foil EVERYTHING, please.

Denise wanted the logo focused on the oyster for which the shop was named. I played with that symbol in a few different ways, including adorning a little mermaid illustration with an oyster necklace (I had to try it), but the design Denise chose combined one of my all-time favorite script fonts with a simple line drawing. It reflects the elegant, natural designs characteristic of the shop’s jewelry collections, and nods to that timeless Cape Cod nautical aesthetic.

Developing the branding and website was just as fun, and allowed me to gild to my heart’s content. Denise was after a calm, beachy look and feel and loved the combination of sea glass aqua with gold, so we brought that in to most all elements of her shop.

My favorite piece was the business card - gold foil oyster! The sign for the front of the shop is going to look just like these; it’s in production now and I cannot wait to see how it comes out.

I love the way all these pieces came together to bring a fresh, classy brand to Main Street in Falmouth. Now I just need to get over the bridge to check out the shop - Denise opened the doors just before Christmas! This was so much fun to work on, and I’m excited to see the Gilded Oyster flourish when visitors make their way to the shore this summer - my dad included.

Oh, and a couple logo outtakes!

Anyone want a mermaid logo???