L L CC The Lotus Leaf Cafe and Creperie
Project Book
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Introduction The Lotus Leaf Cafe and Creperie is one of the few restaurants in Wichita, Kansas that is devoted to a plant-based, vegetarian menu. It offers vegan and gluten-free options as well. It is unique in product as well as location—found downtown in a historic district. The Lotus Leaf Cafe and Creperie’s branding is outdated, tired, and not memorable.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS Strategy .......................................................................................... 6 Research Paper .............................................................. 6-7 Target Audience ........................................................... 8-9 SWOT ..................................................................................... 10 Brand Mission .................................................................... 11 Creative Brief .............................................................. 12-13 Style Guide ........................................................................................ 14 Logo ................................................................................ 14-15 Moodboard .................................................................. 15-16 Infographic ................................................................... 17-18 Media Mix ...................................................................... 18-21 Design Standards ...................................................................... 22 Logo Standards ................................................................. 22 Logo Guidelines ............................................................... 23 Color Palette ..................................................................... 24 Typography ....................................................................... 25 Textures and Imagery .............................................. 26-27
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Style Guide 7
Logo Usage The Lotus Leaf Cafe and Creperie’s logo is easily forgettable and does not stand out from the competitors. In the vegetarian restaurant sector, light typography with some form of a leaf seems to be the usual. This new logo design moves away from a typical natural foods diner and draws on triangular shapes referencing nostalgia of a 1970’s diner but with an abstract incorporation of the word marks of the title within each shape. This ties together retro design with the typography and form, and modernity with implied line and without a picture. Keeping in mind David Airey’s rules to keep it simple, make it relevant, and to incorporate tradition and distinction, the new logo quickly states to the consumer with a recognizable symbol that this cafe is casual but efficient.
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The primary logo incorporates both a picture mark and a word mark. When these two are used, they may only be used vertically, as seen below. The pictorial mark may be used on its own when used on various print media that is repetitive. The minimum size is 1 inch, and the space around the logo should be no less than the “L� of the Lotus and Leaf typography. Only colors from the color palette should be used.
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Using Brand Colors Presently, The Lotus Leaf’s color scheme includes orange, yellow, and green. These colors might work well due to their representation of a healthy lifestyle, but to make the rebranding more appealing and unique, this campaign will change the bright orange to a burnt orange, keeping the excitement of the color, but harnessing the energy of orange in to a subdued shade. Replacing the bright yellow with a blue-green will represent cleanliness, focus, and calming of the evening. These colors will relate directly to the target audiences moods, as they wish to be hip, clean, and fresh, but want to be mindful of their carbon footprints at the exact same time. Balancing beauty, healthy, and efficiency are what the new orange, blue, and beige will possess.
CMYK: C=16 M=79 Y=99 K=10
RGB: R=168 G=83 B=45
CMYK: C=31 M=58 Y=75 K=0
RGB: R=167 G=122 B=88
CMYK: C=100 M=39 Y=39 K=9
RGB: R=16 G=113 B=133
CMYK: C=100 M=20 Y=2 K=45
RGB: R=0 G=95 B=134
CMYK: C=0 M=0 Y=22 K=0
RGB: R=255 G=251 B=210
CMYK: C=0 M=26.97 Y=41.51 K=0
RGB:: R=247 G=196 B=149
Color Palette
Textures
Remachine Header This is the Lotus Leaf’s unique logo font It should be strictly used for the name of the company Remachine Header This is the Lotus Leaf’s unique logo font Whipsmart sub-header This font is for additional text when describing main ideas for It should be strictly used for the name of the company the company AaBbCcDdEeFfGgHhIiJjKkLlMmNnOoPpQqRrSsTtUuVvWwXxYyZz
Typography and Voice Typography will be displayed on print advertisements for The Lotus Leaf in its menu, signs, newspapers, local magazines, brochures, and posters for events the café might be involved in. The typography needs to reflect the importance of clean, healthy, and sustainable eating but incorporate the retro vibe of a downtown diner. Like the color scheme, this can be quickly conveyed though what typeface is used. In Jay Nelson’s article “What Makes a Great Font?” he said it is important that “the font seems fresh and not overused by everyone, everywhere” (2010). The font will need to be memorable, but not easily forgettable, as The Lotus Leaf’s current font looks like a font repeatedly used in a Word document. Florian Hardwig said in his article, “Axia,” “One central aspect of typeface design is how shoulders are treated. Do curves flow smoothly into stems, or do they meet at an angle?” (2013). He then speaks about how to avoid dark spots in text we avoid serifs. Not using a serif will display a light, fresh appearance for The Lotus Leaf. Using Remachine as the header font immediately evokes nostalgia, while Whipsmart and Bangla smooth things in to a natural feel.
Typography
Use of Images
The feel of this campaign is casual, local, and organic. This cafe offers organic food in a downtown setting. Rebranding this essence will give customers a comfortable feeling of nostalgia when popping in for lunch on a work break, or meeting with friends in the evening to relax. Combining a feeling of relaxation with the presence of healthy food and drink options give the target audience an overall sense of well being. These images portray the target audience utilizing these aspects of The Lotus Leaf Cafe and Creperie.
Imagery
CMYK: C=16 M=79 Y=99 K=10 CMYK: C=100 M=39 Y=39 K=9
RGB: R=168 G=83 B=45 RGB: R=16 G=113 B=133
CMYK: C=0 M=26.97 Y=41.51 K=0
RGB:: R=247 G=196 B=149
The Lotus Leaf Cafe and Creperie This font is “Remachine Script” and is for the header.
THIS IS A SUBHEADER--It is titled Bangla MN The body copy is written in the Whipsmart font.
Mood Board
Infographic
Media Mix
Media Mix
Media Mix
Media Mix
Media Mix
Media Mix
Research In an age where information is quickly found and shared, more and more people are learning about where their food comes from and what it takes to get from the farm to the table. Increasing awareness on the importance of adding more organic vegetables in to the American diet has caused adults to begin looking for nutritious alternatives when dinning out. The Lotus Leaf Cafe and Creperie, in Wichita, Kansas focuses on vegetarian and vegan dishes while constantly changing its menu to fit the season. The thesis for this paper is to discuss and assess the values of The Lotus Leaf while promoting the brand effectively to encourage Wichitans to choose the cafe as a healthy option.
“offers organic food and is affordable”
If conserving the environment is important to the consumer, then the fact that using local ingredients as much as possible in each menu item will be operative. The Lotus Leaf cuts down pollution by transporting vegetables from local farmers, knows how the vegetables were grown and harvested, and uses these vegetables seasonally. By eating with the season, consumers are able to obtain nutrients from the dishes in a most optimal way. The faster the food arrives from farm to plate, the higher the nutrient content.
In this small, Mid-Western, town, there are few options like those The Lotus Leaf offers and this needs to be exemplified. Since it is a small cafe, advertising appears to be minimal. The problem is that consumers do not know that it exists, and some people are leery of vegan or raw food. Increasing awareness of the importance of health, and promoting education on the variety of dishes that can be created from vegetables, will make it less scary for traditional Mid-West consumers to try The Lotus Leaf. In recent years, the “slow food movement” has been rapidly growing in the United States, and The Lotus Leaf Cafe and Creperie is an appropriate choice when coinciding with the crusade. As Gervais Williams said in a debate at the University of Cambridge, “’Slow Food’ has changed consumer attitudes and behavior. The food companies have to watch what ingredients they put into our food, because we’re watching what ingredients go into our food” (2012). More and more people are becoming health conscious and environmentally alert, and The Lotus Leaf directs their entire value on this lifestyle. By offering vegetarian and vegan options, they welcome participants of the “slow food movement” to satisfy consumers’ desire for healthiness and sustainability. Williams also said: “The best way to change the behavior of our businesses is to change our behavior as consumers” (2012). In a response to the dangers of fast food, slow food focuses on nutrient content in the food and how it is grown and harvested. Consumers want to know where their food is coming from and are demanding knowledge. Businesses are starting to change their behaviors. If this movement continues to grow and consumers are passionate about their health, the food industry could potentially be forced to change their
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habits of massive food production and farming. The unique thing about The Lotus Leaf is that when available, ingredients are used from local farmers. The restaurant is open with the information about what is organic or where it came from. This will put specific consumers, such as vegans, vegetarians, gluten-intolerant, or health-conscious at ease, as this type of honesty is rare in Wichita, Kansas.
“Imported fruits and vegetables account for almost two-thirds of the produce consumed in the U.S.” (Fast, 2012).
. As Neil Zevnik said in “Better Eating. Eating Seasonally,” “any foodstuff that has to travel a long distance also has to be picked sooner and less ripe than a local counterpart” (2013). This gives The Lotus Leaf a rare advantage over almost any other restaurant in town. If consumers are looking for healthy and flavorful food, fresh, local ingredients are a must. The Lotus Leaf is also affordable. With the average menu item around 10 dollars a person, this is in line with most all restaurants in the Wichita area. There is a stigma with natural food that it is more expensive and this “justifies” consumers to choose a more mainstream, fast food or American chain restaurant. But with the prices at The Lotus Leaf being at the lower end of regular restaurant prices, this excuse might, optimistically, die down.
petrochemicals. Processing, transporting food long distances in refrigerated trucks and cooling out-of-season food uses more fossil fuels” (Fast, 2012). In short, the processing of growing, harvesting, and transporting the goods are all harmful. As stated before, by eating seasonally, the nutrient content of the vegetables will automatically be higher.
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Alisha Gridley MDMFA 2014
L L CC The Lotus Leaf Cafe and Creperie
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