There is a high-end barbershop experience launching soon in Sioux Falls, and branding this new concept was one of the most challenging (and rewarding!) branding projects that we've completed to date!
During our brand strategy session we talked about creating an elevated look that will speak to their target audience. Their services include a full suite of professional barbershop services paired with spa treatments and luxury amenities like suit coat steaming, and eventually also shoe shining.
The Challenge
It was agreed that this logo needed to be modern, elegant and prestigious, but also clearly say that this is a barbershop. Hello stripes! I spent many hours trying to fit stripes into the logo, but the challenge with the traditional barber pole look is that it kept turning into something more vintage and lost that high end feel. It just wasn't aligning with what we laid out during the brand strategy phase.
I was honestly ready to throw in the towel, swallow my pride and let the client know that stripes just weren't in the cards. However, I kept pushing because I knew that the stripes meant something to this brand. We weren't trying to include them just for the heck of it.
Thankfully, a creative breakthrough happened at the final hour and this beautiful mark emerged.
The cascading stripes are nod to the traditional barber pole but in a very modern and upscale fashion. It was a slamming success!
I am so proud of this new visual identity for SIR by Vanessens, and the client was equally happy to see the final result! Here is a little more about the strategy behind the design:
Brand Keywords
Growth
Experience
Community
Sustainability
Masculine
Luxury
Genuine
Professional
Services:
The colors evoke feelings of sophistication, elegance, creativity, confidence, relaxation, balance, independence, and acceptance.
The brand mood board for SIR depicts elegance, sophistication, rich colors and luxurious textures. You can practically smell that black leather couch.
The customized "I" letterform in the word "SIR" is a nod to the traditional barber pole. Vanessens is a longstanding and trusted salon brand that has been in the community for over 30 years, so keeping it incorporated in the SIR logo was strategically decided. The Vanessens name gives this new barbershop concept credibility in the community before they even open their doors.
SIR is slated to open Fall 2021 in downtown Sioux Falls.