Plateau Capital classic logotype + slogan and keyvisual
"I need a brand that is capable to last fifty years at least."
said André Albuquerque, one of the owners of Plateau Capital when he first contacted me about the project.
Plateau Capital is a holding that gathers a wide range of companies, startups / partnerships, and financial services, since consulting to a bank interface, splitted between Brazil and United States.
Currently based in São Paulo, Rio and Miami, the newborn Plateau Capital brand case gave me four different challenges:
• Naming creation / That translates the essence of the company (yes, they asked me to start by the name)
• Brand structuring / That would lead any visual element creation made for the company),
• The Brand (in itself) / Logotype, its versions and other relative unfoldings)
• A solid visual identity / Based on all those previous information and key visuals)
Logotype versions (from top to bottom): Original with contours inside / Badge version / Horizontal display lettering version
The naming creation
... came from the concept of associating heights with a feeling of prosperity, as a positive spotlight in the history of a person's carreer.
Plateau is an area of a highland, usually consisting of relatively flat terrain; so it means it's a strong solid position in a high level piece of land, translating what every person chases on the way to the top.
It also means a privileged and strategic point of view compared to the others. From the top it's possible to see all the landscape: wider, higher and better, helping in decision-makings, what lead us to the slogan: Reach higher. Look Further.
A mindset for the brand
The appropriation of the heights as a prosperous place to see the whole landscape and taking wiser decisions shaped the mindset of each visual element. It's also important to mention the strong horizontal bar that represents, minimalisticly, that higher piece of land and brings stability for the layouts, a reference spot recognizable as a Plateau Capital sign, even without any other brand sign.
... unfolding the concept through the logo creation process
• THE LETTERING
The strong horizontal bar, our plateau representation, led the way. So, for the main display lettering, I found a family font that could follow the same thickness and line-straighted feeling, strong enough to be seen together as one.
For Capital lettering I knew I needed a serifed font able to combine with the geometric main lettering, but a more contemporary thing, setting up the contrast between the sans serif old ones and the monospaced digital fonts from nowadays.
• OTHER ELEMENTS
The wires around the brand is an actual important part of it due to its important funcion of denfending the lettering in itself, separating them from outside objects such as the contours, whose purpose is to bring this first person view from the heights for everyone who experiences the brand, this feeling of being on top of the world.
Business card
Identity (really) matters
Plateau Capital's was born for the big. It was thought to deserve to represent those who reached the top and those who also wants to be there. That's why its identity had to be strong and straight to the point.
Plateaus are very common in deserts, arid places, so the contrast between the color nude and blue represents the ground, the sand, and the skies above. It's also so clean as the land where it comes from.
The settings / specs of each piece made for Plateau were thought to be noble, from the business card to other printed materials and gifts for clients. Details really make difference and it was took very seriously during the challenge of creating any art for the brand.
Double-folded paper case
Specially personalized pen
Mail envelope
Leather case with Plateau Capital Badge
