HarperWells

Dean Harper and Ed Wells insist that every wine they sell is tasted and approved by either them or a member of their team – usually involving a sunny afternoon in a far-away and remote vineyard. Nice work if you can get it! The brief Although HarperWells is a wine retailer and not a producer, they wanted a brand identity to reflect the very source of their passionately curated products. Equally important was that the stuffiness often associated with the wider industry was left behind, instead, portraying HarperWells as a contemporary, accessible, forward thinking and twenty first century wine merchant. No wax seals, no decorative foil-blocked type and no ivory paper stock. Solution The result is a simple pared back graphic mark, which comes to life when applied. Inspired by grapes on the vine, it is simplified in to circles, which are equally spaced, resulting in a geometric graphic image. Whilst we were conscious that using such a cliché (grapes) may be deemed predictable, we were equally as confident in our ability to turn the reference on its head and inject an additional layer of relevance. This was achieved by commissioning photography of further wine references and presenting the visuals in a structured and considered way… Brand-led campaign We worked with the client to identify specific key messages important to their business, such as their regular wine tasting events, diverse collection of wine, accessible pricing strategies and the team’s wealth of experience. The advertising campaign embraced and echoed the new logo by utilising various props to communicate specific key messages to customers. For example, corks were used to communicate ‘years of experience’ and champagne caps to suggest ‘a toast for any celebration’. This format was used to deliver other key messages such as ‘hundreds of wines under a tenner’ being available in store. Flexibility The identity is almost infinitely flexible. Relevant circular forms can be arranged to recreate the logo and, in turn, deliver a specific message in an engaging manner. The symbol can also be used in isolation on some applications – such as some of the packaging. And when it’s deemed ‘too early’ for a drink – Harper and Wells can disguise their merlot as coffee! The Click