Launching the soul of The Melusine
Based in St Katherine Dock, The Melusine is a seafood restaurant that offers a constantly evolving menu dictated by the day’s catch. Founders Theo Kyriakou, who’s behind the success of The Real Greek, and Wade Mundford, of artisan coffee makers The Gentlemans Baristas, work directly with 15 skippers around the British Isles to ensure their food is sustainably sourced and perfectly fresh.
Bringing an image into focus
When Theo and Wade approached us, they had their end-goal firmly in mind as far as food and service were concerned, but lacked the building blocks of a brand. They needed a name, a look, and an articulation of their vision – a unique identity to substantiate their dream.
Digging deep
We helped the client mould their idea into something more substantial by immersing ourselves in their location, analysing the competition, and asking the right questions in a series of face-to-face workshops.
Their goal was to have something different and new for every visit with an ever-changing menu, and to keep people coming back for more through a superior product and delivery: simple, quality food, and a warm, welcoming service.
From these values we established the proposition ‘Unforgettably unexpected’ – a guiding principle to inform the creative from top to bottom.
The creative direction
The restaurant takes its name from a mythological creature from European folklore. The Melusine, or Melusina, is a water-dwelling spirit: half woman, half fish. Both unexpected and unforgettable, it would create a stir whenever it was discovered − an ideal figurehead for the business.
Taking inspiration from this mix of mythology and nature, we developed a sophisticated photographic style and colour palette, and brought touches of the brand to everything from a larger-than-life feature wall to the names on the cocktail list. The brandmark is a minimalist representation of the two-tailed figure of the Melusine.
We rolled out the brand across menus, interiors and exteriors, and provided social and website assets. We also worked closely with the architects on the restaurant’s design and handmade the Gyotaku inspired prints for the feature wall.
When they came to us, the client had the big picture, but none of the fine detail. By asking the right questions and following a strategic, nurturing approach, we were able to create an identity that brought their plans to life.
