We partnered with Tsogo Sun Hotels to adapt the Riffs Bar & Grill brand for a new venue in Montecasino. More than just tweaking visuals and colour palettes, the strategic overhaul required a departure from the original brand.
The original Riffs Bar & Grill is well known among hotel guests and Sandton locals for its relaxed vibe and their passion for good food and even better music. Taking into account that we were responsible for developing their original brand identity a few years earlier, we were particularly excited to get started with the development of their new venture – simply called Riffs.
With Riffs Bar & Grill’s established and celebrated reputation firmly in mind, we realised we had to convey Tsogo Sun’s core values and differentiators, but more importantly, we had to tap into what the new Riffs will stand for. We had to get past the tangible attributes of this destination eatery, and get to grips with the emotional triggers of a brands’ new target market.
A fusion between metropolitan aesthetic and subtle sophistication...
In essence, it called for a unique visual identity; one that reflects a fusion between a metropolitan aesthetic and a subtle sophistication, and one that talks directly to an audience that values bespoke cocktails and prefers a slightly more refined ambience.
The brand refresh process involved sharpening up Riff’s messaging and visuals to reflect a cosmopolitan influence. Riffs needed to follow a new direction with a revitalised logo including a lighter and modern colour palette, photography, fonts, textures and other brand elements.
