What could be more important to your brand than your store’s visual identity graphically presented in a logo?
Not much, says Travis Piper, who pondered both his store’s name and his logo for six months before he opened Piper Diamond Co./ Custom Jewelry Studio in Vincennes, IN. “I’m sure there are plenty of examples of stores that have been successful without a cool logo. However, in today’s market, I feel it is extremely important to use a consistent logo with a consistent message in order to build not only a successful retail store, but most importantly a brand that people can identify with,” Piper says.
Once a font is chosen, stick with it, says Abigail Honor, partner with Gluttony, a full-service advertising agency in New York. Don’t get bored and change it again quickly, and don’t use it sporadically. It’s crucial that the logo looks the same everywhere, from gift bags and signage to website. “Brands that do really, really well have a consistent look and feel. As soon as you have a different look at different places, it all falls apart.”
A Font Apart
Onyx II Fine Jewelers, Watertown, CT
At Onyx II, James Michael Murphy is all about brand recognition. “I wanted something very clean, classic, legible and to the point,” he says. “The best way to achieve that was by picking a signature font, something I could use for our logo and consistently through items such as letters, invitations, additional store signage, so anytime the font is seen, it is recognized as being of our brand.”
Keeping an Eye on the Prize
Thomas Mann Gallery I/O, New Orleans, LA
“I/O” is an abbreviation for “insightful objects,” meaning objects full of meaning and power. Artist and owner Thomas Mann says the artist imbues the object with creative energy and the client demonstrates appreciation for that object by exchanging energy in the form of money. Fittingly, the logo suggests the shape of an eye. It also reflects the look of the jewelry he makes, which he describes as “techno romantic.”
Symbol Stands Test of Time
Star Jewelers on High, Columbus, OH
In the ‘80s, after Rachel Howard’s parents, Dennis and Elaine, christened their store Star Jewelers, a family friend designed the logo. “The logo is super clean and classic.” When the business moved from the suburb of Bexley to High Street, they added “on High” to the name. “We really like it in our new location, because we often say `Star on High’ for short,” Howard says.
Dropping Anchor Back Home
Chapman Jewelers, Warsaw, IN
Emily Chapman Metzger grew up in a region of Indiana known for having more than 100 lakes. “My father’s jewelry store and the lake were the two places I spent most of my childhood,” she recalls. When she was 16, she lost her dad in a car accident and the store closed. But in 2010, she was able to reopen the family business. “One day, it occurred to me, I’m back in my home town after all these years — I am ‘anchored’ back to my roots. I also wanted to add an element of sparkle, so I decided to put a diamond in the eyelet of the anchor.”
The Most Important C
Cut Fine, Baton Rouge, LA
The logo for Cut Fine in Baton Rouge, LA, won a gold award from the American Advertising Federation for its graphic design, which lends a modern, contemporary feel to the store. The name gives owner Matthew Patton the opportunity to educate customers about the importance of cut when assessing a diamond’s quality. He also likes the simple and concise nature of the name, “CUT.” “We didn’t need another Family Name Fine Jewelers,” he says.
Timeless Beauty
Alchemy, Portland, OR
Alchemy, the medieval forerunner of chemistry, originally referred to attempts to convert base metals into gold. It also means a seemingly magical process of transformation or creation. Custom jeweler David Iler of Alchemy, a goldsmith and stone setter, was seeking an 18th century look for his logo. “I worked with a local design visionary to help me discover the logo,” Iler says. “I feel the logo truly reflects Alchemy’s style and mission, our longing for symbolism and meaning captured in timeless beauty, no matter how or when it is created.”
Playful and Modern
Max’s, St. Louis Park, MN
Max’s was named for Ellen Hertz’s beloved grandfather, a Polish immigrant who owned jewelry stores. Hertz hired a graphic designer to create a playful, unconventional logo to reflect the designer jewelry and specialty chocolates she sells. “She had me go through magazines and rip out ads that had store logos that I liked. She wanted to know the type of font I liked, colors, and feel of the logo. Based on that, she came up with about five different logos to review and we then refined the one I chose.”
An Edgy Option
Piper Diamond Co./Custom Jewelry Studio, Vincennes, IN
Travis Piper spent a lot of time looking for the right name for his store as well as the perfect, distinctive font for the logo. “Piper Jewelers” alone, he deemed too generic. He also considered that consultant Shane Decker preaches having “diamond” in the store’s name because diamonds are the biggest part of the sale. Finally, he chose the word “studio” to tie into the small-town, artistic nature of his business. “I knew it had to be edgy and different. The inside of our store is all corrugated metal.” Ultimately, the final choice meshed with the look of the industrial interior and is friendly enough to emblazon on T-shirts.
This article originally appeared in the January 2017 edition of INSTORE.