Anagrama

Codigo Magazine

2013-05-14 16:39:25 UTC

Codigo is a leading Mexican magazine reporting in current art, architecture, design, fashion and style tendencies worldwide, in other words, a Zeitgeist vessel of our era. Struggling with an expired identity, an uncomfortable reading format and displaced generic perception, Código approached us with the task to redesign its entire structure and image.

We gave Codigo a complete typographical revamp, that included the logotype and magazine editorial format. The anatomy and structure for the magazine's editorial content needed to be flexible and noble, traditional and reader friendly. Referencing global affairs magazines from the United Kingdom, we created a simple yet intelligent typographical palette complemented with bursts of color highlights.

The cover's white, recurring label is a distinctive marker, meant to convey the magazine's consequential content in a categorical and systematical way, while making Código easy to identify in a publication rack.

We created a system using different colors and nomenclature to categorize and order the magazine's various themes and subjects. Through this system, we furthermore divided the magazine's content into percentages, presented in the index and exposing each subject's material quantity in each issue.

Magazine layouts

Typefaces

Magazine index

Topic division percentage infograph

Section: Design

Section: Urbanism

Magazine nomenclature

Paper types

Section: Fashion

Magazine layouts

Collaborators & Team

Topic division detail

Collaborators

Magazine cover

Magazine grid

Section: Style

Team

Various editions

Photography layout

Section: Architecture

Section: Multidiscipline

Magazine layouts

Section: Multidiscipline

Section: Multidiscipline

Section: Architecture

Topic division detail

Section: Multidiscipline

Romero+McPaul

2013-05-07 15:03:01 UTC

Romero+McPaul is a premium brand specializing in the sale and design of traditional English-style velvet slippers induced with a bright, trendy twist. Velvet shoes have a rich presence in English royal hospitality. They were traditionally placed in the king and queen's royal guest's rooms for their comfort and indulgence.

For this project, our inspiration was heavily drawn from traditional English types and coat of arms mixed with the over-the-top luxuriousness of The Hamptons and it's sailing and yacht club maritime lifestyle.

With the intention to speak of the product's duality, we created a storyline based on two characters, Romero and McPaul. Romero is the mischievous heartthrob, representing the product's playfulness, warmth and latino heritage, while mMcPaul is the serious, traditional man, embodying the product's ancestral and upscale British nature.

We gave the brand the rosemary (or "romero" in Spanish) not only as a wink to its name but also as a reference to this herb's curious nature, as it only grows close to the sea.

Storefront

Stationery

Typographic logo

Rosemary physical figure

Business card

Store interior

Store boutique bag

Uniformed mannequins in store

Rosemary

Shoe packaging set

Store shoe display

Product branding

Store interiors

Shoe typographical monogram

Store exterior signage

Brand behavior

Split toe wooden shoe trees

Monogram

Santa Cruz

2013-04-16 22:29:01 UTC

Santa Cruz is a quick service Mexican BBQ restaurant located in Santa Catarina, a municipality of the greater Monterrey area in northeast Mexico. Santa Cruz's menu contains food such as brisket and baby-back ribs slow-cooked to tender perfection and offered in an array of different ready-to-go, conventional styles such as burgers and tacos. While working on this project we had the incredible opportunity to work alongside our friend and architect Eiji Hayakawa, who was in charge of the building's extraordinary construction and design.

The hand-made quality of the logotype and overall identity is meant to praise the careful, traditional and apprehensive food making process of Santa Cruz.

The brand is simple and direct, and above all, always honest and sincere, never attempting to hide its conceptual rugged awkwardness. Destined to be franchised in the future, Santa Cruz's honest and handcrafted demeanor will inevitably be distinctive amid all other, more synthetic fast food chain restaurants.

The project was done in collaboration with architect Eiji Hayakawa. While we developed the brand values and visual identity, Eiji worked on the restaurant's unique and unusual architecture. The massive, scarlet barn-like structure is distinctively prominent amid the industrially gray and blue mountainous backdrop of its physical setting.

Stationery set

Food service presentation

Restaurant exterior

Brand behavior

Drink packaging

Name tags

Establishment menu

Salad packaging

Restaurant interior shelves

Exterior signage

Food sides packaging

Location signage

Take-out packaging

Jumbo envelopes

Interior restaurant menu

Restaurant exterior

Tortilla packaging

Drive-thru signage

Salsa packaging

Business cards

Charcoal packaging

Building details

T-shirts

Sealed take-out packaging

Interior ceilings detail

Restaurant exterior

Restaurant exterior

RMFF — Riviera Maya Film Festival

2013-03-05 18:28:27 UTC

Riviera Maya Film Festival is a new, inclusive film festival aimed at inspiring the participation and integration of people into the events, locations and films on display. With locations all across the Mayan Riviera in Mexico, the festival is one of a kind in its active mission to promote not only film and arts, but also ecotourism in the region.

Since the festival is an advocate for many things, including its location and it's pre-hispanic heritage, the environment, and the international film industry and community, our inspiration for the logo was drawn from all those properties and more, giving it a deep and well-rounded symbology.

The logo is a comprehensive visualization of a wreath, of two intertwined snakes, of a mayan necklace and of the shape of the sun and its irradiating heat. Staying true to the festival's mission, we designed the stationery and distinct design pieces with eco-friendly and recyclable materials in mind.

The use of color conveys the vitality and energy of the region's remarkable natural treasures and ecosystems. It also creates a direct, albeit harmonious contrast with our use of serif typography meant to communicate formality.

Press Kit Items

Tickets

Stationery

Catalog Cover

Catalog detail

Catalog spreads

Business cards

Promo item

Schedule

Promo items

Event Signage

Promo item

Business cards

Posters

Director's Chair

Sitckers

Promo items

Website Home

The team

About us

Giahi

2013-02-26 01:54:59 UTC

Giahi is a series of specialized tattoo and piercing studios located in Zurich, Switzerland.

The custom type designed for the logo is riddled with detail and conveys the artful and precise process of tattoo-making. The tiny, sharp peaks and crevices found in the type directly associates with the moment and accuracy of the tattooing needle piercing human skin. There is a gold-stamped droplet in the closed counter of the logo's letter 'A', a tribute to the everlasting effect of ink in human skin.

The golden cross symbol at the bottom of the logotype is a salute to the brand's Swiss nationality. The logo-type layout and weight is heavily influenced by the art and insignia on the leather jackets of American biker gangs of the 1960's. While the weight of the logo's typography conveys the toughness and coarseness associated with tattoos, the minute and elaborate markings and details speak of the precision and craftsmanship typical of Switzerland and its devoted clock makers.

Business card

Ink packaging

Brand peripherals

Stationery

Boutique bags

T-shirt

Skin products

Tatto care manual

Tattoo care manual

Postcard

Guy Bauer

2013-02-19 18:36:08 UTC

Guy Bauer Productions is a video production company based in Chicago that tells the stories of exceptional people, companies, and brands. Since their productions focus primarily on storytelling, we chose a writing quill for the logo's icon.

The concept for the stationery is based on the language of traditional clapperboards used in film productions. The deep green color of the brand is meant to convey depth and reliability.

Stationery

Business cards

DVD packaging & USB memory

Letterhead & envelope

Clapperboard

Folder

Smartas

2013-01-22 01:14:42 UTC

Smartas is a brand dealing in lively and bold disposable articles. Their prime commodity is toilet tissue, which is sold in various color and odor presentations.

Our objective consisted in designing a visual idea that represented Smartas' fun and youthful spirit.

The logo depicts a mortarboard and toilet tissue combination, a conceptual wink at the brand's cheeky naming. The proposal is simple, a deliberate decision meant to highlight the paper's bright colors. We used a rounded typeface to give the brand a friendly and sincere personality.

Stationery

Wet wipes

Product line

Colored toilet tissue

Folder

Toilet tissue

360º view

Talous Consulting

2013-01-14 16:44:30 UTC

Talous Consulting is a boutique firm based in San Pedro Garza García, México that specializes in Financial Consulting and Investment Banking. Founded in 2011, Talous approached us with a brief that stated their need to communicate trust and sophistication in their brand new business.

Our brand proposal used guilloches (those decorative engravings found in bank notes, currency, and certifications to denote authenticity) to not only represent security, but to also wink at the nature of Talous' business practices.

Edging away from all the dull colored and seriously sans-serifed mainstream consultancy brands, we used a custom blackletter type for the logo to give the brand seriousness, solidity and strength. The lively range of colors, meanwhile, give the brand a fresh and dynamic feel.

In spite of the vivid colors and lines of the guilloche patterns, we managed to achieve a clean, noiseless brand aesthetic that was still serious and effortlessly classic. We succeeded in creating lively contrast between the traditional and the new, giving the Talous brand a trustworthy and innovative vibe.

Original typography vs custom modifications

Business cards

Stationery

Monogram

Original typography vs custom modifications

Brochure

Stationery

Guilloche detail

Business cards

Salvatierra

2013-01-08 00:01:50 UTC

Salvatierra is a brand specializing in producing premium organic goods from several Latin American countries and distributing them to South Korea's eager food lovers. The products range from coffee to sugar to delicious and diverse cooking oils.

Our design proposal uses flag icons to exalt the product's origins and gold foil to express it's premium quality. The logo depicts a pair of hands holding an abstract item, a mixture of snowflake and plant that makes allusion to nature, while the letter S helps tie the overall look of the logo with the brand's name.

In Spanish, the name Salvatierra translates to "Earth Saver", so the logotype symbolizes the brand's commitment to nature and conservation as well as to the delivery of a product of supreme quality. We used a simple typography to dignify the text and to finish rounding up the brand's premium nature.

Our proposal is simple, destined to strongly stand out in its simplicity and cleanliness against overwhelming and noisy Asian packaging that dominates South Korea's market aisles. The design is transparent and honest, meant to be exceedingly clear over what is being bought.

Promotional cup

Paper bag

Stationery

Sesame oil packaging

Product tags

Coffee packaging

Oil product line

Oil packaging label detail

Coffe & promotional objects

Envelope with coffee-like texture

Promo shirt

Bonnard

2012-12-18 01:38:08 UTC

Metallic tea packaging

Tea cup and metallic tea packaging

Cup

Macaron packaging

Business card

Bonnard is a Mexican french-inspired tea and confectionary shop.

The brand's distinct brush strokes and color selection are based on Pierre Bonnard's postimpressionist paintings. The simple art direction, together with french words and phonetics round up the brand's gallic concept effortlessly, spontaneously and efficiently.

Our approach with clean, sans-serif typography gives Bonnard a luxurious feel mostly associated with high-end fashion brands.

The gold foil stamp and clean type directly contrasts and at the same time elevates the would-be informal paint marks.

The rounded cross icon detail found in the wording relates to the shapes of macaroons, one of Bonnard's prime delicacies.

Golden foil on business cards

Brand behavior

Doce Cielos

2012-12-04 21:23:06 UTC

Doce Cielos is a brand specializing in traditional handcrafted honey-based products. Their mission is to encourage the recognition and consumption of these native Mexican apiculture products, emphasizing the product’s richness in flavor, texture, color and benefits to personal health.

The packaging lines make allusion to traditional handcrafted Mexican paintings and art pieces. Our proposal achieves a sophisticated link between the Mexican handcrafts heritage and the honey’s sweet traditional essence.

Since the brand’s primary products are honey-based, we chose a bee for the logo.

The packaging design praises the great variety of honey varieties using a categorization based visual system and nomenclature. The typography is meant to convey the cleanliness and elegance of the product.

Stationery

Product line

Brand behavior

Product presentations

Honey-filled straws

Liquid and powder honey

Golden foil on packaging

Grauforz

2012-11-27 21:05:53 UTC

Grauforz is an expanding Mexican company specialized in buying, selling and distributing steel by-products on a global level. Their market reach includes operations in 5 countries on different continents including North America, Asia & Europe.

Their first contact with Anagrama, was made with the intention to formalize their brand communication and brand experience. Our analysis culminated in a re-branding process where we decided to conserve original colors and the brand's original concept. Their original logo consisted in an abstraction of the letters G & F. While looking for a way to correctly communicate their efforts to modernize the brand keeping it fresh and eternal at the same time, we chose a sans-serif typography.

Our focus on considering all contact points between the company and their clients culminated in a project where we intervened their logotype, stationery, corporative communications, website as well as interior architecture for their offices. Due to the fact that many of their clients are located in other countries, we also were in charge of the design and development of a web based tool for sales management and follow-up.

For the interiors, we developed a project where we applied steel and wooden elements. By using steel, we were able to be consistent with the products sold by the company. We were also able to communicate strength with a modern feel. Some elements like wood added a warm human touch making spaces feel more cozy. The interiors project was complemented with typographic interventions allowing the brand to be communicated to the inside of the company and staff with feelings of belonging, loyalty and formality.

By the end of the project, we can appreciate how Grauforz is able to position itself as a world-class company.

Office space with privates

Office space with privates

Reception

Business card

Corporate communication

Office space

Stationery

Office space

Folder, letterhead & business card

Meeting room

Compact disk

Private number 4

Compact disk

Material union detail on ceilings

Website. Home.

Website. Contact.

Montero

2012-10-02 16:00:30 UTC

El Montero, is a restaurant located in Saltillo Coahuila, a city very close to the Mexican northern border.

Its kitchen represents the restaurant's surroundings as it is located on one of Mexico's deserts. El Montero's menu is inspired on regional food, integrating elements from contemporary kitchens.

The project was developed inside an edification from the colonial period considered national patrimony. The development was executed with respect and care toward its elements.

Our job as brand developers was to create a personality where we could glorify traditional kitchen values making the most of regional raw materials.

For the interiors, we developed a project where antique elements could be combined with modern objects allowing the space to communicate its gastronomical concept.

Package set

Specialty Dish

Main Hall

Stationery Set

Second Hall

Preserves

Custom Made Mega Chandelier with 4 Kilometers of Chains

Grand Opening Invitation

Hot Stamping Detail

Custom Made Floating Chandelier

Red & White Wines

Exterior Sign

Letter Head Detail

Terrace

Bathroom Detail

Specialty Dish

Hand Made Soaps

Terrace

Preserves

Bar Detail

Chandelier Detail

Exterior Dinning Room

Hand Madre Liquors

Specialty Dish

Wal Detail

Chandelier Detail

Contact Info

Boutique Bag

Menu

Chandelier Detail

Golden Hotstamping on Leather

Saffron

2012-09-06 18:24:41 UTC

Saffron is an electronics products company focused in offering excellently designed solutions that improve the end-user quality of life.

We generated a sober, typographical identity that would be timeless, evading visual competition with the imposing product aesthetic.

When developing the packaging, we considered glorifying the product contained in the box. A carefully directed photographic session along with adequate text arrangement allowed us to give the product appearance its place on the packaging.

Text disposition on the packaging and icon design were inspired on technical diagrams and product manuals normally included with these types of electronics achieving a "high tech" appearance.

We decided to compliment the brand with fluorescent red colors making allusion to saffron (flower / condiment) and calling the attention of customers on the store floor.

Packaging Detail

The Branded Product

Bermellón

2012-07-17 00:54:25 UTC

México is a country widely recognized for its spicy culinary culture. Those who know little about our country, are amazed to find out that besides spicy dishes all types of candy are also infused with these flavors.

Bermellon is a Mexican hot candy confectionery shop, whose products are very popular in the country. The company's main objective is to claim these types of traditional treats found on Mexican streets and markets.

The brand's greatest success consists in taking these traditional flavored products to a premium buying experience through their packaging, excellent raw materials usage and hand-crafted cooking techniques.

Our proposal reflects sophistication values that the brand promotes using an elegant typographic palette and a logotype with allusion to a family's monogram. The selected vivid colors constantly remind us about the product's extreme acid and spicy flavors.

Branded Sour Wafer

Slightly Spiced Salsa Bottle

Boutique Bag

Sour Wafers

Hot Marmalade Set.

Boutique Bag Interior

Hot Sauce Set

Sour Wafer Boxes

Package set

Caramela

2012-06-27 00:07:46 UTC

Caramela is a chocolate boutique located in Monterrey, Mexico.

This city differentiates historically for having an industrial golden era in the steel manufacturing. As part of the concept, we considered these historical values to inspire the brand to simulate a high-end handcrafted chocolate factory.

The packaging design is inspired on industrial packaging systems. We used adhesive stickers and identification codes as part of the brand's language stylizing them with simple layouts and joyful colors.

Stationery Set

Box of Chocolates

Business Card

Package Detail

Set of Packages

Boutique Bag

Beliveo

2012-03-29 17:25:26 UTC

Business Card

Stationery Set

Welcome Kit.

Business Cards

Stationery Set

Beliveo is a young outsourcing company that provides tele services to all kinds of enterprises. This sort of business rarely stands out.

The competition is tight and there is a lack of added value that makes it hard for the brand to arouse any emotions. However, we used this to our advantage, since it made it easier to create a differentiator for the new brand.

The logotype is a three-dimensional abstract icon. The goal was to give the icon a tactile quality that would make it feel warm and friendly. The "sketching" process for said icon involved the making of sculptures and taking their picture in order to have a vivid reference.

The brand's colors reflect joy and serenity and are paired up with a ver neatly arranged typography that gives it a professional and tech-saavy look.

Plate

2012-03-14 22:18:42 UTC

Plate is a company dedicated to the direction of real estate development projects of all types. They have over 40 years of experience and have participated on the most important projects of northern Mexico.

They have built over 9 million square meters across more than 198 projects, from industrial facilities to metro stations and stadiums.

When they came to us, their main objective was to express this expertise with a strong, modern and simple corporate brand.

The concept of the icon on the logo is based on the representation of a fragment of a Gantt chart. This talks about the order and control that Plate provides to their clients' projects.

Stationery

Brochures

Uniform

Brochure

Brochure Spread

Brochure Spread

Brochure Spread

Brochure Spread

Brochure Spread

Business Cards

Brochure

Brochure

Helmet

Security Vest

Brochures

Agromundo

2012-03-06 00:32:16 UTC

Agromundo is a company based in Mexico that sells agricultural pesticides, our task was to give it a brand identity that was both modern and tech-savvy, and that would reflect sustainability.

We designed a very simple logotype based on the shape of a clover and traced by an interlaced line, the typographic selection consists exclusively of Helvetica, in order to make the products more serious and give them an almost clinical look.

Logo Detail

Folder Interior

Folder

Business Card

Packages

Package Detail

Stationery Set

Sofia by Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects

2012-02-21 18:05:55 UTC

Sofia is a building designed by architect Cesar Pelli for One Development Group. Located in San Pedro, Mexico, this building not only was designed by an internationally renowned architect, it also has the most generous specifications in every aspect: from automated appliances, to Leed certifications.

Our task was to communicate such sophistication and exclusiveness to their potential buyers. Therefore we created an identity that was the exact opposite of what we usually see for this kind of project.

Sofia's identity is formed by three very important axes:

Logotype: the keys and the coat of arms are inspired by San Pedro's coat of arms.
Typography: we developed a custom typeface designed especially for Sofia, it is inspired by british san serifs.
Layout: the text and information arrangement is inspired by the typographical treatment used before grids were popularized by the swiss grid system.

Both the attention to detail and the brand's elements convey the greatness of Sofia's architectural project.

Stationery Set

Sofia Sans Custom Made Typography

Color Palette

Typographic Palette

Stationery Set

Postcard

Envelope Detail

Mood Board

Brochure Set

Advertising Art

Coat of Arms

Paper Bag

Stationery Set

Business Card

Advertising Art

Coat of Arms

Promo Item

Brochure Spread

Advertising Art

Key Logos

Stationery Set

Promo Item

Stationery Set

Advertising Art

Papelería

Brochure

Brochure Detail

Brochure Cover

Toscatti

2012-02-10 00:04:09 UTC

Website

Toscatti is a new brand of high endurance kitchenware. Their products are both very practical and long lasting.

The client approached us to develop the brand's naming, identity and package design.

For now the brand has more than a dozen containers, each with different size and capacity characteristics. Therefore we developed a packaging system that would categorize the containers in a practical manner.

Each product's capacity specifications come first in the design's hierarchy, and the distinctive colors come second.

For the logotype we created a typeface with geometrical shapes, but rounded strokes in order to give it a friendly feel.

Epix

2012-01-31 16:23:01 UTC

Epix is a natural sports drink targeted to children and young athletes.

The goal was to create a healthy beverage that was practical and accesible, which is why the client chose a bag as the container.

The visual communication strategy's challenge was to develop an iconic brand, that the children could feel attached to; similar to the feeling given by a well designed sports brand.

The design's layout is based on the swiss typographic style, with a very geometrical sans serif typeface that complements the brand's identity.

The logotype shown here, suffered slight modifications afterwards.

Package

Stationery

Promo Item

Poster

Catalina Fernández

2012-01-24 17:59:13 UTC

Store interiors

Catalina Fernandez is a high end pastry boutique established in San Pedro, Mexico.

The concept in which the store's interiors were based is the brand's origin. It started in 1988 as a home based bakery and ended up as a successful pastry shop.

In order to give the store a look similar to a warehouse/kitchen, we used packages of sugar, flour, and yeast and placed them all over the store. To benefit from the stores tall ceilings we designed a vertical structure with shelves above the refrigerators.

The brick wall with white enamel is meant to make the store look impeccable, as well as old fashioned, so there would be an interesting contrast between the worn out bricks and the modern furnishings, with all simple and geometrical shapes.

The goal was to create a place that even 20 years later would still capture the eye of people walking by with its imposing lighting and simple props.

Besides the architectural project, we also developed the brand's identity. To see more about the branding project click here.

Light box including props referring to shop ingredients

Hand-painted over brick wall

Ingredient props

Hand-painted over brick wall

Store interiors with custom made floating chandelier for CF

Detail for brick / gold foil wallpaper / ceiling with subtle interior lighting

Cashier view with two product displays on the back

Ceiling perspective showing store lighting with floating chandelier

Zoom into hand-painted wall with golden wallpaper on the back

Catalina Fernández

2012-01-24 17:39:40 UTC

Stationery

Product bags with golden hot stamping

Product packaging with golden hot stamping

Product packaging

Business cards

Boutique bag

Product bags with golden hot stamping

Catalina Fernandez is your typical home based bakery that started in 1988 and eventually became a successful pastry shop.

Along with the shops growth, came the need to open more branches and to penetrate new generations of potential clients.

When the client approached us, she told us her desire of upgrading the brand to a much more sophisticated style. Based on these requirement we developed a very elegant identity, with a sans serif typeface to keep the brand neutral and give it a chance to evolve in the long run, with new designs for their packaging and other printed pieces.

The various boxes and bags were decorated with details in golden foil that, not unlike Catalina's pastries were, took many hours of attention to detail.

Besides the brand identity, we also took care of the store's interiors. To see more about the architectural project click here.

Typographic composition with founding year & slogan

Opened Box

Bulbo

2012-01-12 23:25:15 UTC

Stationery set

Opening invitation

Business card

Business card detail

Business card back-side

Packaging

Package label detail

Doormat

Circuit diagram reference

Bulbo is a lighting boutique specialized on premium points of purchase.

Their added value relies on the fact that each of their pieces are carefully selected from their catalogue, as well their ability to manage an entire lighting project for a specific space.

When it came to their identity, Bulbo knew the importance of portraying their products' sophistication. They approached us asking for a for a brand identity that communicated the brand's elegance above anything else.

The monogram is inspired on the language of electric diagrams and it is complemented with a sober serif typeface.

Website

Getner

2012-01-10 18:34:27 UTC

Letterhead

Business Cards

Stationery Set

Business Card

Pattern

Getner is a new payroll management business targeted particularly to Latin America.

It was very important for this young enterprise to appear as a responsible, modern company, with the ability to handle big corporate accounts providing the benefits of a team small enough to pay attention to detail, but experienced never the less.

The logotype evolved from the abstraction of two hands closing a deal, conveying Getner's human nature; and a waving flag that denotes the company's dynamism.

As for the color palette, we chose to work with very bright colors, in order to stand up from their competitors, who tend to use much more sober tonalities.

Scielo

2011-12-19 15:55:27 UTC

Scielo is Rivero González' newest product; a robust red wine, targeted mostly to young adults, hence its moderate price.
In the global wine market, young people are taking more and more importance, therefore, our challenge was to design the sub-brand's identity in a way that it would create an emotional bond with this new generation of wine enthusiasts in a practical and honest way.

The modern packaging communicates the harvest's specifications in a very detailed way.

Scielo comes from the spanish word "Heaven", based on this concept, the cotton paper's die-cut in the shape of a stair, and the texts are set in a vertical position.

Detail such as the silver foil and the printed wrapping, give the wine a contemporary feel, while the round seal with an abstraction of the Rivero González' logotype links Scielo to the winery.

360° View

Open bottle view

Wrapping detail

Label closeup

Bricos

2011-10-29 00:38:51 UTC

Bricos, originally known as Mayoreo Eléctrico Monterrey, had a very clear goal: to stop being your typical hardware shop and become a construction material supplier that could be perceived with much more formality upon the arrival of international competitors.

In order to develop the Branding Strategy, we thoroughly researched the project commercial aspects, and we executed a deep brand diagnostic. This resulted in a solution that helps the company heighten their values such as service, honesty, responsibility, experience and kindness, all of which have been key to the company's success throughout the years.

On the other hand, the company needed to attract qualified personnel and make these employees feel proud of working for Bricos giving them a sense of belonging.

The project's design decisions included creating a timeless brand with a completely different icon from any of its competitors. We used a very clean typographic language and an institutional pattern that can be easily applied to any object.

These elements turn Bricos into a brand ready to compete internationally.

In-store product packaging

Shipping box

Pattern detail

In-store product packaging

Product display packaging

Brand diagnostic toolkit

Brand diagnostic tool-kit

Folder pattern detail

Business card

Stationery & packaging

In-store signage

Rivero Gonzalez

2011-10-11 18:15:18 UTC

According to archeological evidence, the human race has been drinking wine for over 8,000 years. However, never before has there been such diversity in origin denomination, quality and prices.

Throughout the years, there has been a tendency of taking products originally treated to remain longer such as cheese, cured meats and even salt, and take them to the same level of sophistication of a perfume or a high couture garment. For wine, this tendency is stronger than for any other beverage; We can find three dollar wines in a cardboard box, or a $160,000 bottle of Château Laffite.

The market's top section is very small, and the demand is under supply. For these wine producers it is fairly simple, but for the vast majority of the younger wine houses the situation is much more complex.

Our solution was to use Rivero González' family coat of arms as the brand's identity. We developed a modern version that would convey elegance without pretending to seem like an ancient wine house.

In contrast with this modern and simple visual language, we played around with textures that denote the wine's craftsmanship. These details can be appreciated in the packaging: silver foil, textured paper, and melted sealing wax on the cap.

Rivero González is a brand that represents this new wine cellar but also heightens the most traditional wine producing processes.

Rivero Gonzalez white, red & rosé

Red wine

Beauty shot

Cork

Label detail

Label close-up with black and silver foil

Logo foil stamp close-up on label

Label back-side

Axioma

2011-10-04 20:54:35 UTC

Axioma is a new company specialized in skin care products for which we had to create a corporate identity that would reflect the company's philosophy: Offer the highest quality products made with authentic active substances.

Based on the fact that the effectiveness of each of the products is clinically proven, we chose honesty as the brand's leading value, therefore, we decided to use the name Axioma, which means "irrefutable truth".

We developed a clean visual language that would represent the products' honesty and its clinical purpose. However, the typographic selection was carefully handled so that it would evoke the high-end fashion industry.

Today, Axioma is a brand that despite its young age, can already compete with other renowned beauty brands.

Product line primary packaging.

Product packaging.

Package detail.

Bottle in packaging with reference brochure.

Dieline detail for box.

Nemesis Films

2011-08-16 20:03:19 UTC

Letterhead detail with embossed monogram.

Letter sized envelope with embossing and custom monogram seal in black sealing wax on the back.

Close up detail of envelope seal.

Complete stationery with mood-board stake & silver bullets.

Nemesis is one of the first horror-film production companies in Latin America. By the time they contacted us, they already knew exactly what their brand should portray: formality and the highest cinematographic quality.

We developed an identity based on ancient runes, which are related to an atmosphere filled with magic and rituals. The monogram is very complex, creating a counterpoint with the typography's cleanliness, inspired in 1970's cinema.

Institutional opening for Nemesis Films.

Business card with embossed monogram.

Business card backside with embossed monogram.

MTLL

2011-08-03 15:45:38 UTC

MTLL is a young architecture firm born from the merging of two experienced architects with independent trajectories: Miriam Torres and Luis Loya.

They came to us in the need of an identity that would represent expertise and would show their new clients the vast architectural knowledge that supports the firm.

We developed a typographic logotype in which the firm's initials were as reduced as possible to convey the constant search of simplicity and pragmatism.

The typography's traces are very robust in order to give the brand strength. However, they contrast with the serif's fine details making the logotype much more legible, giving it a very distinctive personality.

Stationery Set

Business Card.

Business Card.

Stamp.

Folder.

Papelería Completa.

El Vivero

2011-01-31 18:05:41 UTC

Business Card.

Brochure / Notepad

Borhure / Norepad, Interior Spread.

El Vivero, spanish for Green House, is Fraterna's first vertical development, targeting young couples and businesses.

Real estate brands in Mexico tend to use a very sophisticated language in their effort to sell an aspirational product. However, we believe that brands should convey as much honesty as possible.

Anagrama bent the rules in order to create a message that was friendly, sincere, and straight forward enough to be trusted.

Having a very tight advertising budget, we knew that each piece: brochure, flyers, stationery, etc. should have enough visual impact to captivate those who visited the sales offices.

Few months after sales started, the efforts have shown results and have surpassed the sales velocity expectancy.

Brochure.

Opening Invitation.

Website.

Eiji Hayakawa Architects

2011-01-20 15:31:04 UTC

Eiji Hayakawa Architects is an urban design & architecture studio based in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

They have extensive experience in projects ranging from an urban development's scale, to the mathematical detail of a residential piece of furniture;

The team is young yet professional, over 12 years of solid experience around the world with projects in Europe, Middle-East, North and South America. Tadao Ando Architect & Associates in Japan, EE&K Architects in New York and Aflalo & Gasperini Architects in Sao Paulo are some of the prestigious architecture firms they have collaborated with.

When the team of Eiji Hayakawa Architects first came to us they were looking for a brand that would represent their way of thinking in relation with their creative process.

What did we do?
We delivered a simple but powerful identity based in 2 elements: A geometric sans serif used with a firm grid and a red diagonal that represents the firm's dynamism and innovative personality.

Envelope.

Business Card.

Cd Folder.

Flag.

Modulor

2010-01-28 03:47:35 UTC

Modulor is a firm with international potential, dedicated to the creation of digital tools and web based software development.

Their work method stands out for their agile development system, which generates gradual solutions for fast results.

The concept behind the icon comes from the idea of a liquid element, that represents the flexibility that distinguishes the company's procedures.

For more information about their work process click here.

Business Card.

Cd Sleeve & Cd Label.

Every business card has a different image of the liquid pattern.

Stationery Set.

Website Design.

Micheline

2010-12-09 17:59:26 UTC

Package Design.

Grand Opening Invitation.

Micheline is a print-shop boutique dedicated to designing and printing stationery and pieces for social events. Interested in rejuvenating the brand in order to captivate the unexplored segment of young adults, Micheline came to Anagrama.

Thanks to our branding strategy, Micheline is now a boutique that shows the highest quality, and welcomes all generations, making them feel comfortable and in their own environment.

We selected a color palette based mainly on black and white, since all of the printed pieces are very colorful.

Also, we designed a monogram that would be easy to reproduce on all of their printed pieces and that would work as a signature for their workshop.

Click here to see the store.

Stationery Design.

Web Site Design.

Object Design.

Catalog Detail.

Tape.

Boutique Bag.

Catalog Design.

Secondary Logotype.

Micheline

2010-12-09 01:29:52 UTC

Interior Design View.

Wall Detail.

Shelf Detail.

Celling Detail.

Neon Light Detail.

Entrance View.

Micheline is a printing boutique founded in the mid 70's. Back then, it was very uncommon to find a printshop that offered both design and high-end printing under the same roof. The boutique came to us because they needed their brand and store to express uniqueness, elegance, and modernity.

The space is inspired in the ambiance of print-shops in the seventies: it has a few contemporary accents such as the lighting, which gives the interiors a vanguardist atmosphere. We made sure to use a neutral color palette to focus all of the attention on the shelves holding the printing catalogues, as well as to emphasize the brand's presence.
This project was developed with the collaboration of our friends German Dehesa and Roberto Treviño.

To view branding project for Micheline, click here.

Maria Vogel

2010-11-10 01:57:52 UTC

Maria Vogel is Latin America’s up and coming fashion designer. Our goal for this project was to develop a brand that was convincing, sober, and above all, portrayed Maria’s vision, all this without competing with her imposing designs.

Based on the first geometric typefaces of modernism, we designed the typeface "Vogel Display" in which we emphasized acute angles and modified some of the characters providing it with a personality of its own.

Venturing into high-end markets has proven to be a bigger challenge for emerging fashion brands due to the strong international competitivity and a more educated and demanding audience.

Our work concludes in the materialization of a solid brand that shows maturity, sobriety and attitude before one of the most selective markets. It also sets itself as a real alternative to the top fashion houses around the world.

Gant

2010-06-14 22:11:56 UTC

Gant is a designer products gift shop, located in the major cities of Mexico. They carry products of many categories, from office and decoration to kitchen and sationery. All these products have one thing in common, a nice and modern design.

The design is a simple yet modern invitation for the inauguration of their new store. The idea was to relate it with their own products.

Creavisa

2010-05-17 15:32:49 UTC

Creavisa is a company specialized in POP items and display signs. Their workshop, run by industrial designers and engineers, and their operation floor that includes more than 20 different processes, make Creavisa the most dynamical company of their kind.

The brand was developed to reflect the company's integrated services through the icon's various colors. On the other hand, the purple tones represent their kindness, differentiate them from their competitors, and portray the company's vision.

Stationery

Website.

Business Cards.

Letterhead.

Theurel & Thomas

2010-04-01 02:21:18 UTC

Theurel & Thomas is the first pâtisserie in Mexico specialized in French macarons, the most popular dessert of the French pastries.

For this project it was very important to create an imposing brand that would emphasize the unique value, elegance and detail of this delicate dessert.

White was our primary tool for design. As a result of this the attention was fully oriented to the colorful macarons. We placed two lines in our design in cyan and magenta, as a relation with a modern French flag to inject a vanguard vision to the identity. We selected Didot (created by Firmin and Pierre Didot), a French typography that would present the brand with sophistication.

To view more information about this project, visit this other project entry in our portfolio.

The street address and location was integrated to the identity, in order to blend it,
making it practically invisible.

Website

Custom lettering for Theurel & Thomas identity system.

Purple Christmas Edition

Theurel & Thomas

2010-03-31 01:19:34 UTC

One of the most important extensions of a brand, which has a business based in store selling, is the design and ambiance of the stores. The Theurel & Thomas pâtisserie has an enlightened space with an exclusivity and elegant atmosphere. The store location is in San Pedro, Mexico, Latin America's most affluent suburb.

White is a central part of the design and it contrasts with the French macarons colors.

Details were an essential part of our work. We meticulously selected each porcelain piece creating a balance with sophisticated specks that made the value of the brand and the exclusivity of the product outshine.

In this project we worked in collaboration with Roberto Treviño & German Deheza.

To view more information for this project, visit this other project entry in our portfolio..

La Fábrica Del Taco 2010

2010-03-30 01:59:52 UTC

Menu design for La Fábrica del Taco, a Mexican restaurant in Argentina. This was the second phase of this project developed by our creative team. Click here to view the project's first phase. This project was developed in collaboration with Nrmal.

Certus Consulting

2010-03-30 02:28:29 UTC

Certus Consultants is a company that approaches modern companies as an ally that offers premium service in financial, legal and accounting matters.

The project consisted on developing a dynamic identity system, aimed to creating strategic alliances in the future.

Certus’ identity was designed considering that financial and legal issues are a sensitive subject. Therefore the visual communication is sober and timeless.

The icon its a modern interpretation of a traditional coats of arms, keeping both, conservative and modern values at the same time.

Logo identity system.

Stationary.

Certus letterhead.

Detail

Detail

Web Site

Devotion

2010-03-30 01:27:33 UTC

A colaboration with Page Magazine, the editors were in charge of dictating the piece’s theme: devotion. This was our interpretation.

Print Detail.

The Magazine

Detail.

Romantica

2010-03-29 01:24:19 UTC

Shopping Bag.

Store Stationary.

Business Card.

Romantica is a boutique that offers headpieces, barrettes and various hair accessories, focusing on custom made pieces and personalized service.

As weddings and brides are the brand's target audience, our goal was to create a communication language inspired by the contrast of classical typographic elements and some hints of contemporary aesthetics.

For this project it was necessary to begin by developing the brand's strategy and all the way through the packaging set, labels and business system, to name a few.

Romantica, as its name suggests it, is all about beauty and femininity. The logotype was drawn calligraphic-ally, contrasting thin and thick strokes to accentuate the brand's personality.

The color palette is inspired by the aesthetics of popular Mexican stores, traditionally dedicated to selling clothing for this kind of event. It was the combination of these bright colors, the traditional calligraphy and the contemporary design that dictated Romántica's Identity: a modern boutique specialized in accessories for traditional events.

Product Box Set

Masaryk Street

2010-01-28 04:59:33 UTC

Propuesta para pieza de arte de uso publicitario para Masaryk, la calle comercial mas importante de la ciudad de México.

Los restaurantes más reconocidos como las boutiques más exclusivas se encuentran a lo largo de esta calle haciéndola un ícono de la sofisticación de la ciudad.

Nuestro principal objetivo se convirtió en incentivar a los consumidores hacia la temporada de compra otoño-invierno 2009, y diseñamos este set de piezas.

La dirección de arte fue dictada a partir de utilzar elementos que asociamos con el inverno, como el hielo, los patrones de franela y listones.

El proyecto refleja la personalidad de Masaryk, combinando además factores que representan a las poderosas marcas que se pueden encontrar ahí.

Este proyecto fue hecho en colaboración con Ignacio Cadena.

Detail.

Detail.

La Fábrica Del Taco

2009-06-22 21:47:03 UTC

This project was created for a Mexican restaurant in Argentina. It was a very gratifying project mainly because we consider our gastronomic tradition as one of the greatest Mexican cultural legacies which has become an ambassador our identity in other countries. Taking this into account, the design process was conceived adapting references from the Mexican pop culture, specifically, custom hand made signage which typically uses uses saturated neon colors, a very simple symbology and an ingeniously traced typography.

The visual communication had to be easily understood mainly because the culinary "taco" culture in Argentina is non existent. We took, as a result, the typical Mexican taco stand colors mixing them in such a way that when combined with the typographic and iconic elements it would communicate tradition and modernity. This was essential as the restaurant is located in the Palermo Soho zone in Buenos Aires. The result was a high-end taco restaurant that aims at a young and demanding market filled with new experiences. This project was developed in collaboration with Nrmal.

Menu and business cards

Flyer.

Brand positioning posters.

Business card detail.

Al Fresco

2009-06-23 20:39:05 UTC

Take-out bags.

Drinks and ice cream cups.

Food menu, desserts menu and drinks menu.

Al Fresco is a gelato and bistro establishment. Hand crafted ice cream and detailed attention in your food preparation from pizzas elaborated in a wood oven to paninis and sandwiches with the finest ingredients. High quality products at affordable prices in a kind and family oriented place.

Our work consisted in interpreting the company business plan, transmitting the message of a committed to deliver excellent quality foods brand maintaining affordable prices.

To communicate the established values, a hand-crafted illustration language was developed. This language was based on light laid traces achieving value accentuation on the kindness of the brand. The aesthetic counterpoint of elegant tones, sepia and golden colors was manipulated to help and allow the quality inherent to the foods to stand out.

It was very important to allow the brand to have a sufficiently elastic language to expand it to other areas. Even though the restaurant has not been open for a long time, it has become a reference for other gelato establishments around the city.

B&R

2009-06-23 15:47:13 UTC

B&R is a legal assessment and services firm. The alliance of two previous agencies, which occurred recently, generated a new firm. The main objective of this project was to make the new firm communicate in the same way International legal entities communicate, thinking in long term continuous growth.

We believe that a company´s identity not only must make a promise of who the company is, but also promise its future.

Envelope.

Business card.

Letterhead sheet.

Grouped peripherals.

Pladis

2010-01-28 04:25:20 UTC

Pladis is a Mexican firm that provides integrated services for architectural spaces such as design and high quality construction.

The project's main objective was to design the firm's identity as a translation of their work philosophy considering their architectural profile.

Through the process we realized that the architectural essence of Pladis is all about order and structure in their internal operations as well as in their design. Our solution was to develop their identity based in Josef Müller-Brockman's grid systems.

Print Detail.

Stationery detail.

Muller Brockman - Grid Systems

Letterhead.

Business Card.

Stationery

Zoom Mexico City

2010-01-28 03:59:50 UTC

Logotype

The photographs work as a counterpoint with the sustainability and urbanism theme: poverty images, of ecological disaster and of architectural chaos.

Infinite Icon.

Bag for promo items.

Zoom: A cultural initiative that presents a series of conferences with sustainability and urbanism ideas for Mexico City.

We designed a typography that would include an infinite icon in some of the typographic ligatures. We chose a fluorescent green to give the symbol more presence.

We selected photographs that would work as a counterpoint with the sustainability and urbanism theme: poverty images, of ecological disaster and of architectural chaos.

This project was created in collaboration with Ignacio Cadena.

Zoom Original Typeface.

Anagrama Night Out

2009-08-31 05:49:06 UTC

Fans of Blade Runner & Oscar Niemeyer Since 2099.

Anagrama Feat. Marcomaschuy.com

Landscape

2009-07-27 17:09:38 UTC

Poster detail.

Nature inspired poster.

Poster detail.

Poster detail.

Selekto

2009-07-22 23:01:51 UTC

Damian Lazarus flyer.

Loco Dice flyer.

Object Not Found

2009-07-02 00:23:39 UTC

Website.

Website.

Event invitation.

Artistic collaboration project directed by conceptual artist Rubén Gutiérrez. A non-profit organization whose mission statement is to promote knowledge and appreciation of contemporary art through research, production and intertextual objects exhibitions.

For this project, an invitation system was developed for each of the organized events by the organization. A website with dynamic content and basic peripherals were also produced. We will be probably collaborating in the future.

Nrmal

2009-06-30 18:06:29 UTC

Sebastian Tellier Flyer, December 2008.

Sebastian Tellier Flyer, December 2008.

Yelle Flyer, October 2008.

Reforestación Extrema

2009-06-24 21:02:18 UTC

Reforestación Extrema is a non-profit organization searching the reforestation of lost green areas and trees in different cities in Mexico. They are in charge of renewing sidewalks, parks and public spaces as well as the conservation of mature trees in the cities.

For this brand, we decided to use a logotype that made reference to a natural figure, in this case a tree that represented the actions and vision of Reforestación Extrema. This solution allows the use of stencil application for urban surfaces with a simple and easy to replicate figure.

Business card.

Letterhead sheet.

Selekto

2009-06-24 02:21:58 UTC

Flyer for Damian Lazarus concert (late 2008).

Selekto

2009-06-24 02:17:35 UTC

In 2007 we used to design flyers for electronic music events in Guatemala under the "Selekto" brand. Selekto was one of our clients with the most creative capacity and openness to new ideas. This creative liberty got to the point where the logotype was not used as much and instead, the flyer designs mutated accordingly to what we thought was adequate to the moment.

For this project, in which two of the most outstanding female Dj's from the United States were involved, we designed two flyers that when being arranged together would look as a flyer series with little differences among them. Discrete, simple and feminine.

Flyer.

Velvet

2009-06-23 21:29:48 UTC

Special edition envelope and invitation.

Special edition envelope and invitation.

Flyer.

Flyer.

Pocket sized flyer.

Our client, in this case, wanted to focus on the elite market of the city for this night club. The brand development had to reflect elegance, sophistication, vanguard and style. We decided to create two different logotypes. One of them with an iconic design and another with a modern and elegant typographic design suggesting the name of the night club. These two logotypes are managed separately in a parallel manner.

For the iconic logotype, we proposed a stylized illustration of a roman emperor crown, a classic reference to elegance and aristocracy. The final result successfully reflects the concepts the client required to position the night club amongst the most exclusive night-life businesses in the city.

Roman emperor crown Vlvt emblem.

Estudio Habitat

2009-06-23 21:03:50 UTC

This project consisted in developing the corporate image for Estudio Hábitat, a modern architecture design firm. Several creative solutions, all related to architecture, were explored to get to the final design solution.

The spaces, aesthetics and human diversity as principles inherent to architecture were abstracted until a formal level of conceptualization was achieved that allowed visual representation of a company owned language.

Business cards.

Folder.

Letterhead sheet.

Letterhead sheet.

Peripherals.

La Bonetera

2009-06-23 18:14:09 UTC

La Bonetera is a store dedicated to selling jewelry and accessories at affordable prices. They also commercialize a selection of antiques. The objective was to create a brand system that allowed it to be used economically in all of its products and packages.

More that 20 custom made stickers were developed. The logo typography was hand traced using strong accentuations in contrast with the traces widths.

Business cards.

Sticker set.

Logo.

Logo.

Sangre De Mi Sangre

2009-06-23 17:20:32 UTC

Interior.

Special edition brochure to be distributed in fashion conventions around the world. It was important to respect the established brand to generate a meaningful and desirable object that needed to be pleasant to sight and touch.

The Brochure works like a canvas that show the jewels without distractions
The design emphasizes the simplicity of the materials that were used.

Selekto

2009-06-23 15:23:54 UTC

"Laser series", was the name given to this edition of flyers for the Selekto brand. The idea was centered on using only one type, in this case, Berthold Akzidenz Grotesk.

Laser typical colors were used along with over-saturated colors and a geometrically custom designed pattern for each piece with a UV spot finish.

Flyer.

Flyer

Flyer detail.

Flyer detail.

Can cities be branded?

2013-03-13 00:00:00 UTC

Can cities be branded?
How to become the gourmet capital of Scandinavia.

By: David Licona

Cities around the world have been increasingly employing marketing and branding tools in order to develop and maintain competitive advantages in economic, political and social terms. This is a complex practice that goes far beyond logos and slogans; it's a strategic long term coordination of marketing, urban studies and policy-making that aims to give cities a fair reputation and a balanced and useful competitive image. City branding strategies focus on the city residents, trying to forge local community pride and identity to improve city 'quality life' in economic, cultural and social terms. So if it's not with logos and slogans, how do you do this?

Cities are umbrella brands for absolutely everything that exists inside of them. Tangible elements such as landmark buildings (make your own choice ) and other functional, utilitarian and physical factors as the city's infrastructure or accessibility build the city brand. But in our global village, cities can no longer rely on tangible elements to create a unique selling proposition. More and more, cities prioritize emotional elements and mental representations, as intangible elements carry the uniqueness of local culture with its ideas and emotions, sensations that cannot be reproduced as easily as I <3 T-shirts. Examples of these emotional elements that can build unique competitive advantages for cities are fashion, music, art or food.

Culinary tourism is on the rise and more and more people are traveling around the world just to eat. Restaurants that offer unique experiences are putting cities and towns on the international map (heard of Swedish town Järpen?) and cities are making efforts to place their local restaurants on the international ranking lists and the respected food guides. A netnographic research (an adaptation of the traditional ethnographic methods that relies on public online information) carried out last year at Stockholm University showed that marketing savvy European cities have been making use of their Michelin-starred restaurants on their online communication platforms, in order to position the cities in a geographical competitive context.

Only rivaled by The World's 50 Best Restaurants, the Michelin Guide is the mayor authority in gourmet dinning. A brand more than a hundred years old and constructed around strong myths; like the secret identity of the food critics that decide which restaurants make it to the guide; and empowered by leading figures of the industry like French master chef Paul Bocuse saying 'Michelin is the only guide that counts', or chef Bernard Loiseau committing suicide in 2003, after Le Figaro suggested that his restaurant might lose its 3-star status.

External authorities like the Michelin Guide validate what cities say about themselves. When the city of Stockholm started calling itself 'The Capital of Scandinavia' in 2005, both Danish and Norwegian officials protested against the slogan. But when a city happens to have more Michelin-starred restaurants than the cities around, it irrefutably becomes the gastronomic capital of the area and the behavior of the cities around it adjust to the discourse.

Let's take Germany as an example. In 2006, Hamburg had more Michelin-starred restaurants than any other German city and the online portal of the city released an announcement about it:

'The metropolis on the River Elbe is the undisputed capital city for gourmets in Germany. The town boasts a total of 9 restaurants which have been awarded a Michelin star - more than any other German city'. (Hamburg Tourismus GmbH, 2006)

Six years later, the Michelin Guide allows Berlin to call itself the gourmet capital of Germany, and competing cities take this as a fact and adapt to it:

'Berlin was awarded sixteen stars distributed among thirteen star restaurants in the 2012 Michelin guide. The gourmet capital of Germany has in the meantime left its former competitors of Munich and Hamburg far behind'. (Berlin Tourismus & Kongress GmbH, 2012)

'But sometimes, the view from the window is more important than the Michelin star'. (Hamburg Tourismus GmbH, 2012)

The 32nd edition of the Michelin guide Main Cities of Europe will be released the 14th of March, and most of the attention is on the Scandinavian cities of Copenhagen, Stockholm and Oslo. The three cities have at least one restaurant with 2 Michelin stars and various restaurants are making the effort to be the first in the Nordic region to earn the coveted third star. The websites of the three Scandinavian cities are constantly updated with the new prizes awarded to the city restaurants, in order to show the cities as attractive food destinations.

Noma, the restaurant that has become a symbolic element not only for the city of Copenhagen, but also for its nation, has been waiting for a couple of years for its third star. The restaurant has been recognized as the best in the world for three years in a row, and precisely this could be precisely the reason why it hasn't earned its third star. Why? Simply because Noma is the poster child of Michelin's competing rating system.

Stockholm on the other hand is the only Scandinavian city with two 2-star restaurants, Mathias Dahlgren and Frantzén/Lindeberg. The latter could give the surprise of becoming Scandinavian's first 3-starred restaurant, as it has received the attention of local newspapers and national guides as well as a good position in other respected rankings. Other restaurants to watch in Stockholm are Esperanto and Gastrologik.

Most probably, Copenhagen will remain the Scandinavian city with the most Michelin-starred restaurants. But what if a restaurant in Stockholm manages to get the third star? Will the gourmet capital of Scandinavia be the first city to boast a restaurant with 3 stars or even the city with the most stars in total?

References

Anholt, S. (2005), Some important distinctions in place branding, Place Branding and Public Diplomacy, Vol. 1 No. 2, pp. 116-121

Giovanardi, M. (2012) Haft and word factors in place branding: Between functionalism and representationalism, Place Branding and Piblic Diplomacy, Vol. 8, No. 1, pp.30-45

Kavaratzis, M. (2004), From city marketing to city branding: Towards a theoretical framework for developing city brands, Place Branding, Vol. 1, pp. 58-73

Kozinetz, R.V. (2002), The Field behind the screen: Using netnography for marketing research in online communities, Journal or Marketing Research, Vol. 39, No. 1, pp. 61-72

Lucarelli A. & Berg P.O. (2011), Place Branding: A state-of-the-art review of the research domain, Journal of Place Management and Development, Vol. 4, No. 1, pp. 9-27

Bringing Anonymity Back

2012-11-14 00:00:00 UTC

Stockholm, Sweden - Swedish clothing giant H&M adds another iconic fashion brand to its portfolio of designer collaborations, Maison Martin Margiela. Often labeled an avant-garde antibrand, MMM has been one of fashion’s strongest driving forces in the past two decades. The highly conceptual brand has maintained its intellectual leadership in the fashion industry, even years after the founding designer of the namesake brand has abandoned the creative direction of the company and lives invisibly out of the fashion world.

MMM shrouds not only its collections but all aspects of its business under the identity myth of Anonymity. The stores have no signage and are not listed in phone books. The packaging is logo-free, as is the clothing. The models often appear on the runway with covered faces. And most importantly, the elusive founder has never stepped out on the runway after a show, never given an interview and never been photographed.

Maison Martin Margiela has earned the antibrand label for positioning itself as creative counterculture. Not only for pushing the boundaries of fashion with intellectual challenges that have time and time again generated a trickle-down effect of styles and ideas that are later absorbed by the mainstream, but for placing the voice of the brand in opposition to fashion celebrity culture.

In the mid 90’s, Tom Ford stepped out on the Gucci runway after a show, infringing a contract which didn’t allow him to be the public face of the company or even speak to the press, but saving the company from bankruptcy and strengthening the figure of the creative director in the fashion industry. On the other hand, Martin Margiela, while still designing for his eponymous label, decided to retire completely from public view and consequently build a fashion maison that didn’t rely on the figure of a creative director, but on a team of anonymous talent.

The role of creative director at a fashion house has become a fundamental element of its brand strategy, as he/she incarnates the spirit of the brand. The CD is perceived by consumers, critics and colleagues as the mastermind that validates the company’s aesthetics by affecting collective perceptions of the brand and locating it in the right sociocultural context. Name changes, perhaps the most controversial of all branding issues, exemplify the significance of this matter.

Major fashion houses have dropped the first name of the founder in attempts to build strong brands that can reinvent themselves season after season, creative director after creative director. ~~Yves~~ Saint Laurent is the latest example of this rebranding strategy, which has been controversial indeed, mainly because the company, now under the creative direction of Hedi Slimane may even leave behind the ‘YSL’ trademark.

This couldn’t be a better moment for MMM to collaborate with H&M, precisely because the company has been branding itself as a team and not as a persona. The H&M collaboration presents the brand to the masses and liberates its creative responsibility from the ghost of Martin Margiela. Through these collaborations, H&M has become in less than a decade a vehicle that legitimizes fashion actors globally by (re)introducing them to larger audiences and younger consumers, proving that the retail giant not only understands the language of fashion, but that it plays a major role as a gatekeeper of the cultural industries.

Text by: David Licona
Photo by: Heidi Farrell

Giving customers what they ask for

2011-10-11 00:00:00 UTC

It has been a while since the last article we wrote about branding. Many good things are happening in Anagrama and we are publishing new projects to our online portfolio.

This time, we thought we should publish something from our experience with our client’s customers and how we help our clients into making the right decisions. We go by the flag of “Not everything that is good for your business is good for your brand and not everything good for your brand is good for your business.”

It is not very uncommon for us to visit clients to say hello and see how things are going with their companies. Sometimes, we exchange some feedback that can help us and our clients see the results for the work done in the short, medium and long term.

Once or twice, when visiting a client, we give advice that, after a happy discussion, goes in the opposite direction of what their customers had asked for in the first place which got us into the discussion. To be more precise, I’ll give an example.

Imagine a department store that goes to a branding agency to obtain tools and a branding strategy consultancy (by tools I mean maybe a logo, stationery, catalog, website, interior design, process consulting, etc.) that will allow them to communicate consistently a way of doing things that will be different to what the competition already does. Imagine that the resulting project involves a place that changes the way people experience a department store including the way things are displayed, selected & packaged.

In the case of packaging, imagine boxes that astonish customers by their looks and definitely do not include a big colorful ribbon on top like any other typical gift wrapped in a department store.

At the end of the project, everybody ends up very happy with the results, which are consistent with the business strategy. Now, picture this new incredible store operating for a couple of months with their new strategy and their managers naturally trying to do everything possible to increase profits (which are already above great). Through time, customers start asking for a big red ribbon on their gift boxes because they feel they must look like the present they have known for most of their lives. For obvious business development reasons, our client agrees entirely (following the mantra “The customer is always right.”) and adds this element that at the beginning of the project was determined should not be included in order to become unique & differentiate from the competition and their value.

We have talked about this before, and we all know that the branding process consists in conveying and providing a consistent experience and value to your customers. Providing a consistent experience translates into adding elements that do not break or play with the brand’s strategy main objective. When achieving it, the brand becomes powerful and competitive, and thus, more profitable.

In any way, we show a negative attitude into customer insight or feedback. Customer feedback is great and it should be promoted. It is just that we must be more proactive and define what is the real need they are trying to communicate, which maybe the actual gift packaging does not help to fulfill.

Instead of literally doing what the customer asks for, we recommend going back to a design phase where we take into account the feedback and project objectives in order to end up with something that still makes the experience a unique one, maintaining the brand promise and still differentiating.

Being more specific into why adding a ribbon is not the best idea for this specific example we want to add: Ribbons have been known for a long time to represent gifts. People ask for them because they are the “standard” for gifts, they do not know any better. They are included on birthdays, holidays and special events. In the department store example, the ribbon places the gift packaging at the same level of other substitutes and competitors breaking the golden rule of differentiation and brand promise, as simple as that.

Let’s please NEVER forget that brand development is a process that takes some time and one that can be achieved not only with a logo or new brochure. Even though these tools contribute to the experience, the most tangible results are achieved maintaining that consistency throughout time.

A brand development strategy is achieved with a consistent experience and value. If clients experiment that same level of quality, emotions and values again and again, your product, service and company will naturally stand out for it.

Typography Session 08

2011-03-03 00:00:00 UTC

Typography session 08 - Anatomía / Tipometría

Built by: Mircea Turcan / www.restatemedia.com
Class imparted by: Miguel A. Herrera / www.anagrama.com

Students manipulating the art of typesetting.
@ CEDIM, Monterrey, NL, MX
Marzo, 2011

Somewhere in the middle of nowhere.

2011-02-21 00:00:00 UTC

Crowdsourcing for Branding?

2011-02-14 00:00:00 UTC

When Jeff Howe wrote his article “The Rise of Crowdsourcing” back in 2006, he never imagined the impact his neologism would have.

Crowdsourcing, “art” of outsourcing tasks that traditionally one employee would do to a numerous group of people or community through an open announcement, has had great acceptance on the Internet lately. It has gotten into the eyes of big corporations being used to solve product & service design problems.

Crowdsourcing is based in the concept that each person is “owner” of little bits of information that when put together in an organized matter, a better idea of possible solutions for a problem can be obtained.

The “crowdsourcing” model consists in the production of problem resolutions through problem element diffusion over open announcements. Users (mass) form communities and suggest solutions. Once the best solutions are categorized and chosen, they are taken into account by the “crowdsourcer” and generally, participants get “rewarded”.

As a research and market study tool, crowdsourcing has been very useful, fast and financially feasable. Through crowdsourcing, companies can get to know what consumers really think and loyalty bonds can be built.

Our main concern with crowdsourcing is that, when incorrectly used, results can generate huge opportunities. Companies must be very careful when using this tool specifically when thinking that crowdsourcing can solve “everything” more efficiently or with less risk.

We are specifically concerned about this tool being applied openly in companies for branding problem solutions.

Some companies through votes, let consumers “rank” branding development proposals. Consumers lacking on information about corporate strategy, goals and unprofessional management of collected information or collection processes can mislead these initiatives ending up in negative effects.

Companies like GAP & Tropicana have examples of crowdsourcing with negative results. When they put proposals up for general consumer voting, they where forced to go back to their original branding initiatives arguing that their consumers had a great level of fidelity with their original brand. Even though, this might have been their initial intention, special attention must be put when submitting a brand for public approval.

For us, creating a brand goes far beyond a the historic knowledge and opinion of the products, services as well as the company future opportunities from the perspective of a group of people. Crowdsourcing might be an excellent resource for great idea generation, but a brand execution and development must be in the hands of people with the abilities to see the “big picture” and ability to analyze and associate each of the “puzzle” elements in order to develop a proposal that not only appeals to the customers but one that solves the problem.

Ethical, social and financial implications for this methodology have caused a broad debate. In our opinion, the best strategy for a branding problem lies in obtaining a solution based on the internal strategy guided by the company directives.
Crowdsourcing might offer a “photograph” of the present’s needs but can generate opportunities in knowledge of the future strategies, innovations and direction changes for a company which come from within, mainly from “inside” commitment to them.

There is no doubt that mass knowledge will be always useful for problem resolution. In the case of branding problem solution, special attention and care should be taken when using crowdsourcing tools to avoid compromising the solution and project success in complying with its objetives.

References:

Sauer, Abe. (2010). Friends Don’t Let Friends Crowdsource a Brand. [En línea]. Disponible en http://www.brandchannel.com/home/post/2010/04/19/Friends-Dont-Let-Friends-Crowd-Source-A-Brand.aspx

Lipman, Gregg S. (2010). Crowdsourcing Their Way Into One Big Mess. Brandweek. (Octubre, 2010), p 26.

Clark, Nicola. (2010). Testing the wisdom of crowds. Marketing. (Julio, 2010), p 13.

MacLeod, Stephanie. (2010). Is this clever crowdsourcing or just a genuine brand gaff?. Marketing Week. (Octubre, 2010), p 12.

Fisch, Martin. (2010). Antennen 1 (Westend). [En línea]. Disponible en: http://www.flickr.com/photos/marfis75/3556367411/

Winter / Alps

2011-02-09 00:00:00 UTC

Consistency in a brand. Element of success.

2010-09-07 00:00:00 UTC

A brand is more than a simple company logo. Instead, a set of associations that consumers have in relation to your product, company, or service, seems more likely to define what a true brand is. One of the most important aspects that make the difference between a simple brand and an excellent brand is its consistency.

Al and Laura Ries present this as one of “The 22 Immutable Laws of Branding”. The Law of Consistency, as they say is the most frequently violated law. These are a few of the ideas that they include in this chapter:

As technology evolves, communication grows and markets change; many might think brands should also change. Truth be told! Once a brand is out, it occupies a folder in the consumers mind. This folder includes the characteristics that were grown once the brand was first introduced on the market. This is why the essential characteristics of a brand should never change. “Markets may change, but brands shouldn’t. Ever.”

They present perfect examples of this:

No .1 Tanqueray is a gin, so why would consumers buy Tanqueray vodka? If they wanted vodka, they should buy Absolut, Stolichnaya, or Smirnoff.

No. 2 Jack Daniel’s beer? Another silly idea that went nowhere.

No. 3 How can Volvo, a brand that built its reputation on safety, introduce a convertible? It doesn’t make any sense.

One of our own examples for this law is Theurel & Thomas: a consistent brand throughout the whole experience of knowing, buying, and finally consuming or in this case enjoying the product.

Let me tell you more on how this works for us:
Perhaps a consumers first encounter with the brand was when they saw T&T’s logo, this logo reflects elegance, simplicity, and a touch of brightness. Those are the characteristics that are now in their folder labeled: “Theurel & Thomas”. The next step might be to visit Theurel & Thomas, what should those consumers find there? Easy, they find elegance, simplicity and a touch of brightness. Those are exactly the characteristics this store has. Finally when the consumer gets to the products this brand represents, the French pastries, they find elegance, simplicity and a touch of delicious brightness.

The Art of Becoming Knowable, Likeable and Trustable.

2010-03-05 00:00:00 UTC

This word sounds so familiar and at the same time when thinking of how to define it a blank mind doesn’t come in handy. The intention of these next paragraphs is finding a way to get rid of that blank mind when thinking of the word branding.

Each day there are more new businesses and products, and with a competitive field that –thanks to the Internet- now reaches the whole world, brands are more indispensable than ever.

This concept has its history and while some might link it to the Old West, where brand symbols were burned onto the hides of steers and stallions in order to identify livestock that may have ventured, others go even farther back in time, up to the medieval age when makers would mark from a loaf of bread to gold and silver products. The truth is that this concept goes back 5,000 years.

The purpose of branding relies in to developing, maintaining, and looking after a positive image, high awareness and product preference in customers mind. In branding perception is the key, there has to be a clear definition of what a brand represents, what it stands up for, and what’s the first thing that pops up, in a consumers mind while thinking of the brand.

Branding terminology is a language unto itself, Branding for Dummies, presents some important terms:

Brand: A promise about who you are and what benefits you deliver that gets reinforced every time people come in contact with any facet of your business.

Brand Identity: The marks that visually present your brand, the foundation of your brand, usually in the form of a logo, symbol or a unique typestyle.

Brand Image: the set of beliefs about what your brand in and what it stands for that exist in the customer’s mind as a result of associations with you and your name.

Branding: The process of building a positive collection of perceptions in your customer’s mind.

Brand position: Hoy your brand fits in with and relates to various other brands within your competitive market.

Brand management: Controlling the presentation of your brand identity and brand message across your entire organization and through all media and communication outlets.

Brand Equity: The value of your brand as an asset, based on its qualities, reputation as well as the commitment and demand it generates. A valuable brand results in customers relationships that secure future earnings by developing brand passion and loyalty.

Caramela Behind the scenes.

2009-12-10 00:00:00 UTC

New Store Design.

2009-11-24 00:00:00 UTC

A quick overview of our team's interior design process for our new French friends, Theurel & Thomas, a boutique-style pattiserrie located in San Pedro, Mexico

Anagrama Feat. Roberto Treviño & German Deheza.

Special Thanks to Carlos Enderle.

Customer Lifetime Value. A Very Interesting Metric.

2009-09-24 00:00:00 UTC

Customer Lifetime Value, is an indicator that companies can use to measure the value of their customers in a period of time. It can be defined as “The sum of accumulated cash flows - discounted using the weighted average cost of captial (WACC)- of a customer over his or her entire lifetime with the company.” CLV focuses on customer service and long-term customer satisfaction, instead of short-term sales.

In other words, it is “as simple” as estimating the value a customer relationship represents to a company along the life span of such relationship. This great idea has been present for some time now but it has really stood out recently thanks to a change in vision from a client-based to a product-based one.

By using CLV marketing approaches, companies can make consistent decisions over time about client classification and retention, campaign dimensioning, product value proposal assessments and can help in determining the level of resources to be spent on each customer segment.

Which Prospects and Customers Should We Acquire, Retain or Grow?

Which Should We Not?

How Much Resources Should We Spend in These Activities?

We will explain CLV concept and techniques in detail trying to answer these questions in parts 2 and 3 of this blog post...

Branding as an International Market Penetration Strategy.

2009-09-14 00:00:00 UTC

Companies investing in their efforts to grow and introduce products and services into other countries rapidly become aware of important aspects and needs of a successful market penetration strategy.

A well defined and executed brand, design, intellectual property and human resources are essential elements of such strategy.

Khoo Wee Lin of International Enterprise Singapore, an organization working to promote overseas growth of Singapore based enterprises, has pointed out that these elements assist in adding customer value or in differentiation from the many companies offering similar products and services around the world.

According to Khoo, the key goal of branding is to make a difference and shape consumer behavior. She adds that it ensures steady sales and profit growth plus lower acquitision or retention costs. It also ensures a premium price over weaker brands, strong barriers to enry for competitors and staff retention.

As companies set up operations in a new country and become aware of its new market, they strive in a search for obtaining the correct “formula” that will allow them to survive and grow. As it turns out, branding has been strongly identified as one of the key elements in that formula as companies begin to find their niche among strong competitors in those new markets.

One of the most important elements of the branding strategy is consistency. The brand must be properly aligned with the company’s core values. Design plays an important role in communicating brand values, creating new market segments and strengthening emotional bonding with consumers.

Management is the other very important side of branding and market penetration strategy. Management must be convinced and prepared to correctly manage brand strategy and optimize resulting benefits and returns. For many companies, design is perceived as a cost, rather than as an investment mainly because its returns are not immediately visible or their benefits are too complex to measure.

Engaging brand management in the appropiate way helps companies to confidently set up collaboration negotiations with local companies in the new country. It also aids them in the process of licensing and franchising for future expansion and growth. Brand strategy must be flexible so that it can be continually adjusted to close gaps in foreign cultures and meet global trends.

What Really Adds Value to Product Design.

2009-09-02 00:00:00 UTC

What Really Adds Value in Product Design.

Dieter Rams has brought us since the 50’s, diverse product designs that range from home appliances to personal devices such as calculators, clocks and even razors.

His work at German appliance manufacturer, Braun, set a very high standard in product design and still influences design of modern products and appliances that we interact with.

His legacy was born after dedicating his whole life to the development of products with design based in usability and rigurous studies that supported development and attention to detail in each one of his creations.

Motivated to make simplicity and functionality stand out in each of his designs, stripping them down to the basics without “removing the poetry,” as he said, he was able to introduce fresh aesthetics always using new materials, comprehensive and coherent graphic design as well as friendly control panels achieving products that even today have a modern look and feel.

His trascendent designs can be recognized today with devices such as the “606,” a modular storage system developed in 1960 for furniture manufacturer Niels Vitsoe.

For many years, the 606 has been considered a product with a design close to perfect. It was mantained in production for several decades and even today, clients who acquired it in the 60’s can obtain replacement parts and updates to extend or adapt it.

Decades before anyone could even know or hear anything about sustainability, his adherence to the value of trascendent design stands out in the tendency of a world frequently filled up with, what Rams calls “visual pollution” and “superficila, throw-away culture”.

In his own words, “Regardless of how the world may change, it needs people who act with conviction. But this only works in conjunction with equally convinced collaborators, managers, technicians and design teams. As I have always told my students: ‘Designers have to be optimists first and foremost!’”

His good and sustentable design ethics is based on the need of a strategy that can only be acquired through the collaboration of different people and disciplines involved in product design including the clients.

Rams reminds us that the path to humility, usefulness, simplicity and design long term vision is what we should really be considering in a world suffering from resource scarcity.

His 10 famous design principles regardign good design are enlisted as follows:
Good design...

1 Is innovative.
2 Makes a product useful.
3 Iis aesthetic.
4 Helps a product to be understood.
5 Is unobtrusive.
6 Is honest
7 Is durable
8 Is consistent to the last detail.
9 Is concerned with the environment.
10 Is as little design as possible.

Pricing Procedure

2009-08-30 00:00:00 UTC

This blog posting is temporarily only available in Spanish. We apologize for any inconvenience.

This blog posting is temporarily only available in Spanish. We apologize for any inconvenience.

The Return Of The King

2009-08-23 00:00:00 UTC

Ferrari 458 Italia / V8 / 562 bhp / 9,000rpm.

Frontal perspective view.

Back perspective view.

Top view.

Understanding Comics

2009-08-16 00:00:00 UTC

Being a creative studio constantly providing solutions to communication issues, we have always perceived subcultures as very interesting social phenomena, not only as objects of study, but also as inspiration sources.

Sometimes, above our will to get to know new things, we have to fight against strong stereotypes in order to submerge into these new experiences. When it is about comic readers or fans, a lot of resistance exists...

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Scott McCloud´s Understanding Comics is a book about the theory behind iconic management and sequential art. The book talks about semiotics and symbology and was created the same way comics are created. Thanks to this, along the lectures, we can appreciate how easy it is for this type of media to express almost any idea. This book is the key for anyone dedicated to visual communications in order to learn and have the option of using these valuable resources.

To think outside of the box, we first need to spend part of our day living outside of it and being sensible to these kind of stimuli. This book gives the reader a new perspective on managing communications through imagery, thanks to the image secuences found in it.