A friend of mine, Dave Champage—who's last name is actually Champagne, needed a logo for his event lighting business. He asked me if I'd be willing and since I love branding design, I jumped at the chance.

 

Dave primarily does lighting for higher end weddings but he's also hoping to break out into other types of events. He wanted something that would fit in well in the landscape of vendors selling to higher end wedding clients. He was right about that, but I wanted to be sure to give him something he would be comfortable with personally. Dave's a guy's guy so frilly and fancy just didn't seem like the right direction even though that's his clientele.

 

I wanted to show him two directions, one that clearly fits in well in his current niche—weddings. But I also wanted to show him one that could be a little more versatile and a little more masculine. The first option was the more versatile and masculine option—a retro, Art Deco feel with bold typography, a custom-designed spark logo mark that meshes well with the typography, some current, on-trend touches like the line work and the thick border. The second option was the safe option—a didone typeface with a modern twist stemming from the vertical orientation, fancy scroll work in the background as the main graphic, paired with a friendly, modern sans serif type.

 

I felt strongly about the color palette. Colors that felt a little more on the feminine side, but wouldn't be out of place if he were marketing himself to do lighting for musical performances, lectures, product displays, etc.

 

I was glad he went for the more versatile option. It's a brand identity I believe will work well for him in almost any setting.