The Exchange Hotel is an iconic hotel in the Hunter Region operating since 1880. The hotel has a rich history in the area but needed a stronger brand position. They required a strong link to the community that visited the hotel regularly but also was searching for a new audience.
The Exchange Hotel Initially engaged me to collaborate on the design of their entrance signage. Realising they needed more than this, I was selected to provide a welcoming brand identity and gold leaf gilded signage for the interior and exterior of the hotel.
Hand Drawn Logo + Brand Identity + Lettering Design + Illustration
Environmental Design + Gold Leaf Signage + Sign Painting
Environmental Design + Gold Leaf Signage + Sign Painting
The Exchange has always been an iconic local to share a few laughs and quiet beverages with your closest of mates. It has seen generations of tradesman and young party goers frequent the hotel since it's early years of trade. We briefed the client on this mateship being the centre of the hotel's existence, which called for the humble Blue Heeler Cattle Dog to be introduced to share that strong sense of companionship and a good link to the history of the region.
Within the same year of The Exchange Hotels opening in 1880, the birth of the very first Blue Heeler Cattle Dog was bred within The Hunter region. The loyal and affectionate Blue Heeler was a fitting logomark to accompany the logotype.
A unique hand-drawn approach to the brand was created as a correct use of traditional lettering design. The custom typography within the logo uses a minimal spur serif to match a popular style of lettering used during the hotels birth but also in relevance to iconic Australian beer label design. Blocking and Shade effects were added in honour of traditional Australian pub signage but also to accentuate the lettering within the logotype.
A 23 karat Gold Leaf and Enamel logo was hand painted and gilded on the glass entry with two 23 karat gold with matt centre Blue Heeler Cattle Dogs on each door to welcome customers in. Gilded lettering was produced on 6 hanging sign panels to immediately advertise the hotel's core service of Beer, Burgers and Good Times.
Hand-painted and gilded 12 karat white gold lettering with decorative background effects on glass were created to run around all four sides of the front bar. Another iconic letter style was created using a slab serif to accentuate the history of the hotel while the amber liquid effect in the background fits perfectly well with the main beverage of choice enjoyed throughout the establishment.
The Australian Spotted Gum was the perfect reference we needed to create a logo and mural which respects the history of the street and welcomes new beginnings. The Australian Spotted Gum is also an extremely valuable pollen producing tree with the Queen Bee bred on spotted gum being vigorous and long-lived. The word Hum was introduced to evoke the sense of shared productivity being renewed into the street and links back to Spotted Gum being; a most relevant material to create a perfect hive of activity.
Our design reflects both the movement that would have once been active between the trades of the street whilst also sharing the form of the bark from the Australian Spotted Gum. A unique logo design, print and online brand collateral and a large scale mural which hugs the building facade was achieved.
Learn more about the project at
