Kerai bar branding

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The task

A new cocktail bar was going to be open in downtown Vilnius. Owners of the bar asked us to create a concept, a name and the whole branding for it. A concept had to become an inspiration for the interior, while the name had to bring wide opportunities for visual language: a logotype, interior illustrations, menu, etc.

Problems

There are a lot of cocktail bars in the city, so we had to make this one different by all means.
We were asked to address the existing audience and to make bar stand out in this competition.
The name had to be easily pronounceable both for locals and for foreigners.

Solutions

We created a concept of a place where you can forget everyday life. It’s a bar where one step through the doors is all you need to reach a different, magical world. It had to be subtle, so we called it “Kerai” (“Spells”). We came up with a Lithuanian word which is easy to say for everybody.

We have visualised this mystical-magical atmosphere in various illustrations that became a part of the bar’s face. The ones that found their place indoors depict surreal animals and gives a hint of how this extraordinary world might look. While the ones which are visible from outdoors, in the windows, show the people who also look unnatural – it’s like some moments from the other reality captured in a picture.

Also, we have chosen dark stylistics and motives of nature to symbolise the mystery and the magical and strange forest where you can meet these surreal animals. It was our vision of such an unreal world that one can find in this bar.

What’s Golden?

We created a typographical logotype and an icon – a symbol of magic that happens in the bar. It is like an emblem that can be used alone or accompany the logo. Also, we came up with conceptual names for the cocktails to make the bar experience whole.