1983 Coffee and Toast
Client: Koufu Singapore
Job Scope: Branding, Rebranding*, Store Concept
Singapore may be known for her exotic cuisines of many cultures, but in retrospect, there was no one cafe where all of these flavours could converge. There's a line drawn between a coffee shop and a cafe, the latter being the smaller and more assortative of the two. 1983 sits smack on this line with their fusion of all 4 of Singapore's signature cuisines, so that anyone who comes in can experience our Lion City in a mouthful. Founded on the idea that anyone of Singapore's four main races can walk in and feel home, 1983 is a cafe set up in the modern era that brings us back to the bygone past.
Brand Naming
Upon the realisation that eateries were commonly named after their cuisine, no consensus could be reached on a name that succinctly included all four cultures. Too Singlish? Too abstract? Too literal? Too biased towards a certain race? One idea after the other kept getting struck off. As we near the end of our options, the thought of using numbers over English grew tempting. Numbers had no linguistic boundaries, making them easy to remember, and could gratify the problems of formality and race. This memorable designation could also land itself a spot on the 80's timeline as well, encouraging customers that their food is as historic as their name.
* This area sectioned in grey was their initial branding we did for them. We did their now current rebranding a few years later due to change in market needs and menu dishes.
(Initial) Logo Proposals
Design 1 (Selected by Client)
The art of Batik weaving holds great sentiment to the 80's Singaporean. Woven together like a patchwork, the unison of different patterns embraces the 4 main races of our country. Mellow colours remind the target audience of their history. The font used has a slight tinge of "retro", which gives it a slight edge and modernity even in the midst of the traditional mood.
Design 2
This design adopts a typical 80's font and approach with the numbers '8' and '3' symmetrically juxtaposed to tease the eye, giving this eatery a personality of its own.
Design 3
The logotype features a modern, crisp, and dynamic form- a manifestation of its positive energy to strife for the best things in life. The bold colours personify an urban attitude with a chic taste for food out of the ordinary.
Design 4
Refreshing the client's options with a design of cleaner typography, a logotype prominently from the 80's. The Asian motif below anchors the brand into an Eastern cuisine.
Graphics
Sketchy illustrations bring customers back to the origin of 1983's dishes, adding to the experience of the eatery.
Same Nostalgia, Different Taste
Five years later, as more competitors floated in, 1983's brand positioning soon became their ball and chain. Their expansion into a food court and school stall soon redrew their initial brand image, urging a new identity to capture the palates of their target audience once again.
Logo Proposals
Design 1 (Selected by Client)
As harsh as an unsettled migrant's trudge but as pure as the unadulterated past, the logo combines raw strokes with a wholesome circle to encompass every aspect of the 80's. The strong contrast of black and white brings this historic mark into modern times, balancing it between modern and traditional.
Design 2
Over a century of British colonial rule has greatly influenced our 80's period. The result being a Western-inspired logotype crowned with a sketch of English architecture on top.
Design 3
Peer into a coffee cup and experience that Ratatouille moment of the 80's as the caffeine scent wafts through the air, maybe even visualise a specular reflection of the past in your mind's eye- just as how this logo brings that vision back to life.
Design 4
Similar to the second design, this logo is primarily influenced by the West. The strong contrast creates a memorable mark that'll be etched in the minds of the target audience.
Graphics
These patterns breathe some culture into the monotone logo, adding a lot more detail to the brand. They are a mixture of Chinese, Malay, and Indian graphics.
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