Grumpys is a Christchurch based cafe with an emphasis on classic Canadian style donuts. The owner, who herself is Canadian wished to replicate the donut cafe experience that is commonplace in Canada but with a modern sophistication. We were looking for a retro but modern vibe, sweet and sugary but clean and cool.
An initial challenge was finding a way to give a positive mood to the negative connotations of the name Grumpys. Not knowing the business, people may be inclined to think that all the staff were in a fowl mood, or that you had to be Grumpy to go there.
However after a long search, the balance was found was found by setting the name Grumpys in a neutral font, Activ Grotesk, and having a script font do the heavy lifting of lightening the mood. Fasten, a casual, breezy and handwritten font, it undermines the seriousness that Aktiv Grotesk and adds a cool and laidback Layer on top of the branding.
It reminded me of a stock standard cafe order form, with a person's handwritten order quickly scrawled over the top. Adding personality to a neutral base. In some ways, like like a plain donut with frosting and sprinkles on top.
We wanted a face logo, however striking the right balance between cheeky and annoyed was difficult. It needed to be a smirk, not a scowl. Too cross, and it could deter customers, considering the name Grumpys was also on the forefront of people's minds.
But too happy and it undermined the meaning of the name. It also needed to be easy to replicate, like a signature, with a few strokes as possible. The idea was for staff to be able to draw it on coffee cups and boxes, in an effort to become a mark synonymous with brand.
We settled on this fellow. It appeared on many draft designs and ended up growing on us.
Three quick dashes, that are ambiguous enough to be taken either way.
I wanted the colours to be kept at a minimum as not to look too cutesy, yet they needed to be bold and vibrant in order to catch attention. After all, we're in the donut business, this should still be fun. I looked at images of retro interiors with bold and unusual combinations of colours.
At the end of 2024 Grumpys launched with it's first in a series of pop-up events to garner interest. The first was at the end of November and was big success. In the build up to the event, I created a series of social media posts, targeting Instagram with posts and an animation. A print poster was created at an A5 size, placed in nearby business in the lead up to the event.
In January a follow up event is planned, and will no doubt attract the same crowds.
