Raising the Bar on Branding
One of the key values we pride ourselves on as a creative studio is the ability to meet our clients where they are. For many of our projects, that means building off of a business’ existing logo or slightly outdated identity and developing it into a more comprehensive, engaging and effective brand.
This “brand refresh” process differs from “rebranding” in that it doesn’t require founders to start from square one. Rather, we closely work with clients to figure out what’s already working and where we can make the most meaningful impact.
The following four projects represent some of our favorite collaborations this year, and all of them began with existing creative that each business owner hoped to preserve. The ability to transform the initial versions of these brands into fully formed concepts has meaningfully impacted the goals of each company in question. That’s the kind of creative work we’re proud to stand behind.
HYGGE LIFE
Vail, Colorado
Opening their first retail space in 2017, Hygge Life was an early pioneer in introducing the concept of hygge to an American audience, and it has since become one of the Vail Valley’s most noteworthy destination shopping experiences. Yet after five years of business, the brand’s website and online customer experience was falling short of the warm, attentive and highly curated ambiance of the Hygge Life showroom and café. Over the past several months, we’ve partnered with founders Alexandra and Koen on developing a comprehensive brand refresh, with the goal of better representing the brand’s transportive in-person experience throughout its website, email and printed marketing materials.
THE CELLAR ON RAILROAD
Buena Vista, Colorado
After initially opening—and gradually growing a following—during the Covid pandemic, The Cellar on Railroad founder Candace Bryans was eager to expand her business offerings and elevate her online presence. A shift in typography and color palette helped evolve the vibe of her existing branding, while a dedicated focus on copywriting articulated The Cellar’s offerings for a diverse audience of both local patrons and the many travelers (and events!) they host throughout the year. As a final step, we developed a user-friendly, eye-catching Squarespace website for the brand, helping to establish this modern tapas and wine bar as one of Buena Vista’s new and noteworthy dining destinations.
SÜTI & CO.
Boulder, Colorado
It’s not unusual for founders to incrementally develop an idea over many years, and in the case of Süti & Co. founder Andrea Uzarowski, this deeply personal project was the realization of a longstanding dream. We began our collaboration after Andrea had already commissioned a primary logo, focusing instead on capturing the vision and vibe of this Scandinavian-style café and retail concept through focused brand messaging, as well as a visual refresh of her color palette and typography. In support of the business’ September 2022 launch, we also developed a streamlined Squarespace website and executed an opening photoshoot, with the intention of expanding the project through additional e-commerce offerings in the future.
DAY BY DE
Zambia + Colorado
Founded in 2016, the Day by De Foundation had spent several years building a network and infrastructure for implementing social change in Zambia—one of the world’s poorest countries. Yet despite the incredible impact the foundation has already had in the region, the organization’s website and marketing materials failed to clearly and compellingly communicate the “what,” “why” and “how” of their day-to-day operations to potential donors. We were asked to help the Day by De leadership team refocus their messaging and visual storytelling across their website and marketing channels, with the overarching goal of reengaging existing donors and attracting increased visibility among potential new supporters.
