MODERN SHANGHAI

TitleMODERN SHANGHAI
BrandMODERN SHANGHAI
Product / ServiceLOGO DESIGN
CategoryC01. Logo Design
EntrantINDICUBE HONG KONG, HONG KONG
Entrant Company INDICUBE HONG KONG, HONG KONG
Advertising Agency INDICUBE HONG KONG, HONG KONG

Credits

Name Company Position
Antonia Li INDICUBE Business Director
Ruth Chao INDICUBE Chief Creative Officer
Trista Hung INDICUBE Graphic Designer
Kethena Tang INDICUBE Account Executive

Brief Explanation

Modern Shanghai aims to be approachable and contemporary without losing authenticity. If one translates the Chinese meaning of the logo, it means “Home Shanghai”. We had an extensive tour introducing all site visits of restaurants in malls by the one of the founders himself of 1957 & Co. Details from cutlery to the interiors including the plants surrounding the restaurants were explained to us with the story behind it. Absorbing the environment and understanding what inspired the founder allowed us to gain a more in-depth understanding of the vision. Our goal was to create an identity that compliments the surroundings.

The Brief

Modern Shanghai is a new restaurant owned by restaurant concept group 1957 & Co. Creativity in a new mall, YOHO, in Hong Kong. Originality and tasteful lifestyle are essentially its core values. Unlike other restaurant chains, they develop potential and well-known hospitality brands with an individual personality. With 7 restaurants in prime locations in Hong Kong, Modern Shanghai is expanding to China and internationally. Modern Shanghai targets an audience of ages 25 – 35 who appreciate good- quality traditional Shanghainese dishes in a stylish environment at a reasonably cheap price.

How the final design was conceived

We also conducted research for each restaurant, cuisines of Thai, Japanese, Italian and Vietnamese and found the underlying thread was the authenticity of the culture. It was strongly reflected in the restaurant including the paintings, floor tiles and even the scent. The look and feel of the logo should take the viewer back to the country, in this case, China. We also conducted research for many logos from Shanghainese restaurants in prime locations. Our findings showed they all had a classic approach with more script and handwritten-style logos, perhaps afraid to steer from the traditional. Therefore, we struck a bolder tone to the overall logo. The font used for the Chinese characters are laid out horizontally resembling the Western way of writing, versus the traditional Chinese vertical way. The color red also highlights on the first character, “Jia”, placing emphasis on “Home” which not only resonates with the home cooked recipes but adds a touch of warmth to the name. Dark red is used to match the interior design, rather than the communist red that appears in many Chinese logos for good luck, the dark red is understated and oozes elegance and charm.

Indication of how successful the outcome was in the market

Modern Shanghai’s look and feel draws a target audience seeking a fresher experience without abandoning the traditional Chinese ways. This especially targets the younger generation educated in the West, or have been exposed to the Western culture via media. The clean font with consistent strokes steer away from the traditional Chinese character approach that is more rigid and formidable. This approach is more casual and inviting which suits the chic and contemporary interior that provides a more laid- back ambience. It is symbolic to a young Chinese individual with a more open mentality in the current contemporary society. In a busy mall compared to other Chinese logos, it evidently stand outs as it is neither East nor West and arouses curiosity and fascination in the usual Hong Kong mall-goers.