I’ve been working with the Always Creative team for a couple of years now, and they’ve been incredible from day one. They’re super creative, thoughtful, and just really fun to work with. They always take the time to dig deep into the project at hand, whether it’s branding, design, or strategy, and come back (quickly!) with ideas that feel authentic and totally on point. It never feels like a one-size-fits-all approach - Just solid, quality work from a genuinely creative and awesome group of people.
Crafted
Identity, Custom Type, Collateral, Signage
Nestled in the foothills of Appalachia, Crafted is a cocktail bar and restaurant within Boone Tavern, the historic hotel of Berea College in Kentucky. We collaborated with Olympia to create one of our best hospitality brands to date. full story
They chose to go through a rebrand after reimagining what the elevate dining experience could be, choosing a new name, and collaborating with a new interior team.
Always Creative dove deep into the history of the school, the region, and the artifacts that are made by the nearby artisans. The solution was a historically-inspired identity that was made from scratch, including a custom logotype, brand type, and a large array of illustrated assets.
The system was initially inspired by the interior designer's reimagining of the space. A little bit deco, a bit Elizabethan, and a whole lot of upscaling, we wanted to create an identity that blended in but still had its own pop.
Conceptually, we wanted to connect the arts and craft movement to contemporary aesthetics, leveraging the custom type stack to solve a lot of that communication. We were also incredibly inspired by the custom brooms that the students made at Berea and folded that vibe into a lot of the materials.
Overall, this entire brand is a reflection of one of our core branding beliefs: "It's brand identity, not brand identical." Now we just need to fly ourselves out there and enjoy an Old Fashioned in that fancy new spot.
