Building a Brand From the Ground Up

Case Study: Basics Market Branding

When the founder of Basics approached us about a new grocery concept, he had a logo, a leased retail shell and a vision: to open a new type of market that would bring people closer to their food, support local agriculture and inspire shoppers to cook more at home. Motivated by his vision, our creative services team took the verbal concept and helped bring it to life.

Insight

We gained valuable insight during the discovery process when the founder ﬂew us to Amsterdam to immerse us in his vision. A tour of butcher shops and markets provided insight into his thinking and inspiration on graphics and storytelling, and we brought a little bit of the culture back with us. Talks with the founders revealed a keen interest in keeping design aesthetics clean yet distinct, sharing information to empower and encourage more home cooking, and weaving in a little personality and fun.

Results

– A deﬁned customer experience and fully functioning store up and running in 7 months

– A comprehensive brand strategy guide that articulates brand mission, values and positioning language; used to educate new employees and help launch 4 additional locations

– Design template for class schedules, nutrition information, recipe cards, signage and more that can now be developed in house

– Plug-and-play brand copy

– 22.6M impressions via 42 media stories in local and national trade outlets at launch resulting from our public relations push

– 2.5M impressions via 55 earned social posts at launch

Visual Language

Distinct from traditional grocery, Basics leans into a more European aesthetic – crisp and clean, with a vibrant color palette that reflects health. Hand drawn elements from our creative services team add warmth and a human touch.