It was a bright cold day in
December, and the clocks were
striking thirteen.
Over at Sleepy Owl HQ if there’s one thing we pride ourselves on, it’s good design executed quickly. Our secret is a well laid out process and, of course, our talented marketing team.
An important part of knowing what to do next is knowing what we’ve done. That’s where the social media calendar comes in. We look back at our various launches and when we talked about them last.
According to this trusty excel sheet, our enamel mugs were due for a comeback on the Instagram page. We had last mentioned them in August and come December our co-founder (and marketing whiz), Ashwajeet Singh knew that their creatives needed a makeover.
The eye of the beholder
The first stop on our journey is a corner in our office where our gifted photographer has carved out a photo studio. He and his camera are nomads—travelling from the marketing table to the conference room to even the pantry—setting up shop wherever there is space churning out brilliant photographs that bring our creatives to life.
With them you’ll often find the employee with the best manicure that day lending a hand (literally and figuratively), posing for shots and speaking into the camera when required.
Off to the chopping block
Once the shoot is done, the photographer and graphic designer huddle around a screen, parsing through hundreds of pictures and selecting the best options.
With the best shots identified the graphic designer goes to work, cleaning away the background, making the whites whiter, the shadows sharper and the colours more vibrant.
The enamel mug, reimagined
Next in the line-up is the communication designer. They’re responsible for creating an identity that embodies the spirit of the product and helps it stand out in the sea of consumer goods.
We leaned into the enamel mugs’ history with the military. Dating all the way back to the second world war, these mugs were meant to survive the rough and tumble lifestyle of those on the battlefield. Today, they’re a sturdy and stylish way to have some real good coffee.
Made with stainless steel, they hold 350 ml of liquid and each piece is uniquely handmade. All of this information played a part in designing the elements that went on the final creatives. From the background to the type treatment, this identity aims to highlight that the enamel mug is built like a tank.
Time to meet its maker
Finally it’s time to face the music. Once the marketing team has done their part, they gather around Ashwajeet waiting to see if their efforts will pass muster. As a team we go over every element (the picture, the design and the copy) and discuss what works and what doesn’t, what can be changed and what can be expanded into other creatives.
Sooner or later, everything old is new again
Wait! This story isn’t over yet. We developed an identity system so that we could take elements and repurpose them for other ads and instagram posts. The end result is a family of creatives tied together by a single identity.
And that is how we make our creatives.
Keep up with us on Instagram
@sleepyowlcoffee
