On December 5th 1933, the United States government repealed Prohibition Laws that had banned the production, importation and sale of alcohol for the previous 13 years. Not many people remember what happened on December 6th .
To celebrate the liberation of libation, the aptly named 1933 Liquor Co. opened a beautifully designed store in Vancouver. Retailing the finest spirits, wines and beers from around the world, the store was aimed at an upmarket, drinks-savvy audience. To create differentiation in a uber-competitive market, the store recruited staff with worldly drinks knowledge and created a gorgeous shopping environment. Our challenge was to create an equally sure-footed and elegant identity for the yet-to-be-launched brand.
We researched the target audience, competitors and also crucially, the period of history that had inspired the store’s name.
The late 1920s and early ‘30s period is a rich source of design inspiration. We embraced it all, tapping into the colours, geometric patterns and typefaces of Art Deco and Art Moderne to create a distinctive design system. Verbal identity played
an equally important role, adding a layer of playfulness and unexpected irreverence in a market that can often take itself too seriously.
