2014 Winners & Shortlists

Brief Explanation

The challenges of this brief included creating an identity to not only reflect the cuisine, but also mirror its surrounding lifestyle. The key objective here was to translate modern Beirut culture into a restaurant by employing innovative means of visual communication while fusing the modern with the traditional.

The Brief

The agency was asked to develop a coherent brand identity for a modern Lebanese restaurant, Studio 43, to open in one of Beirut's hotspots, Mar Mikhael.

How the final design was conceived

The final design incorporated two elements: arabesque visuals with modern typography. The logo shape and outline was essentially arabesque designs made minimal and modern. The choice in typography was reflective of modern-day Arabic subtitles on Western cinema. This aimed to play on the point of translation, which would ultimately mirror the very culture the restaurant is located in. The tone of voice also plays on what gets lost in translation (as is seen on the menu). The entire identity plays on the fact that our culture is becoming more and more of a translation.

Indication of how successful the outcome was in the market

The outcome was successful, as the branding gave the Lebanese restaurant an identity entirely separate from those of other traditional restaurants by blending minimalism, with realism, and bringing the arabesque a modernity.