Copper Vine Wine Pub + Inn
A casual, but stylish wine bar and restaurant in New Orleans, Copper Vine had already enjoyed a few years of successful operations in the Central Business District. At a moment of strategic growth—when the operations team was about to open an intimate upstairs inn and expand the property’s event spaces—we were commissioned to refresh the verbal and visual identity of this multifaceted hospitality concept to better align with the real world experience of the brand.
Our work focused largely on blending the visually stunning, historic location of Copper Vine—an 1800s brick building that once housed one of NOLA’s longest-running restaurants—with the progressive, social style of the concept’s menus and hospitality. Through custom illustration, strategic font selection, engaging copywriting and a rich color palette, we helped transform this successful business into an eye-catching and evocative brand.
LOCATION
New Orleans, Louisiana
PROJECT SCOPE
Logo Design + Visual Branding
Brand Positioning + Copywriting
Photography Guidelines
COLLABORATORS
Oyster Sunday, Project Management
Emily Ferretti, Photography
The Opportunity
The warm, casual-yet-curated nature of Copper Vine’s service and menus had already attracted a loyal following of neighborhood regulars. Yet the previous branding felt more stiff and generic than the charming in-person experience of the winepub. By digging into the French- and Caribbean-influenced culture of New Orleans—as well as aesthetic references from the bar’s historic location and lush plants—we were able to create a distinct brand with a strong sense of place.
The Challenge
Copper Vine’s multi-faceted concept includes: an approachable wine bar, surprisingly elevated (and fairly priced) global cuisine, several event spaces and a stylish upstairs inn. Succinctly communicating these offerings in the context of an engaging brand story required us to focus first and foremost on the spirit of the brand and how these various offerings are all part of a larger hospitality philosophy.
Custom Illustrations
The historic location of Copper Vine offered significant inspiration for our visual guidelines. Opting for a loose, playful illustration style, we chose the building’s gas lanterns and wisteria vines as two iconic elements to prioritize. For the wisteria, we positioned a cutting inside a wine bottle vase to incorporate the F&B element, while the lantern was drawn in a flowing vine-like style. These visuals became the basis of a larger illustrated pattern, bringing in additional F&B iconography and text that speak to the brand experience.
