When the product is good enough to be the logo
An Arroyo Grande entrepreneur hand-crafting fishing lures had a strong product and no brand. I built the identity around the lure itself, in a military-surplus visual language, then extended it across tags, print, and apparel.
Goal
An entrepreneur on the Central Coast had created a hand-crafted fishing lure with real visual appeal and needed a brand to launch it with.
Approach
I studied the product and the owner's goals. The lure itself had such a strong visual quality that I decided to feature it inside the logo — an unusual approach for a brand mark, but it paid off in product recognition, because customers were learning the product and the brand in the same glance.
I chose type and a color scheme reminiscent of old army planes, which gave the whole thing a rugged, military-surplus character that suited both the product name and the audience.
Results
The logo was an instant success with the owner — no revisions required. From there I produced branded materials to launch with: product tags, a catalogue, a custom-drawn "From My Cold Wet Hands" T-shirt, and additional print pieces as needed.