GOLDEN OWL TAVERN
When Sage Restaurant Concepts hired me to develop the name and branding design for this restaurant next to the University of North Carolina campus, they wanted the concept to feel thoughtful and sophisticated, yet memorable and approachable. Pulling research from Charlotte’s gold mining history and the original owl mascot that UNC had when they originated as a night school, I proposed the name GOLDEN OWL TAVERN.
I utilized collegiate-style typography and a mascot owl icon with a dapper bowtie and top hat that made him both refined and serious yet also hilarious and adorable. Playing off of the owl’s notoriously wise persona, I collected a series of “WISE SAYINGS” that weren’t quite the life lessons you would expect to find on a coaster, postcard, menu or social media post.
Rounding out the playful logo and copywriting, the brand touchpoints were accented with rich materials to keep the brand elegant and handsome — a custom three-dimensional owl sculpture perched on the exterior corner signage, aged leather cocktail books, and gold metallic paper or foil-stamped accents.
Signage fabrication by: 360 Creative Solutions Group
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WINNER: Logo Lounge Book 13 – Golden Owl Tavern logo design | 2022
