Colorola created the Brand ID for an innovative new radio ap designed specifically for Latin America and the US Latin American audience (and those that love them).

Known for their deftly designed interiors, unique locations, and capable management, the venues that comprise the collective portfolio of William Shamlian and Michael Leko are a testament to their hard work and thorough knowledge of the restaurant and bar industry.  With over 40 years of combined experience, Shamlian and Leko, ACME Bar Group and Amalgamated Pubs Inc. respectively, place an emphasis on the details.  Their latest venture, Urbano Pizza Bar, is no exception.

CoffeeBar Downtown Los Angeles

Sometimes the simplest solutions are indeed the best.  The owners of CoffeeBar wanted a minimal Brand ID that was nevertheless distinctive and functional.  With plans to expand the franchise to other urban locations, we created a color-code that will change for each local.

Heading to Spain

HatQuarters, the Barcelona-based hat retailer and distributor gets a head with new branding by Colorola.

In addition to providing the name-change and concept, Colorola created the brand ID and logotype for this fast-growing Los Angeles digital-centric advertising agency, Sensis.  Working closely with the agency’s creatives and management, we explored many themes, colors, fonts, and styles.  The ability to apply effects and animation was important, but the icon also had to function as a static symbol across numerous media platforms.  The notion of a synthesis of services was important to the sales team, so the interlock segments of the ‘S’ icon were seen as a positive, though subtle, reference to the agency’s core brand values.

Going.com Brand ID

Social networks can fast become anti-social, as users tend to migrate en mass, like so many digital geese. The technology might be new, but the fickle audience is a classic complication in the provence of promotion and commerce. In a field already dominated by tweets, places and faces, the challenge for Going.com, an online events diary and yes, social network, was to enter a crowded marketplace, set up shop, attract a clientele and, most importantly, keep them.

So the object was to avoid looking like Friendster. We tried the obvious: arrows, directionals, moving stuff. But the more obvious the interpretation of ‘Going’, the more generic the word appeared. When I tried some standard type, both serif and non-serif, ‘Going’ started to stick – or rather, go. We settled on an amalgamated assortment of friendly block serif letters, creating a unique typeface, part Rockwell, part Georgia.

But there was still some concern. Though resonant, and (ever so) subtly unique, there was still a lack of nuance. We went back to the drawing board, attempting to once again integrate some kind of arrow between the letters, al FedEx. Once again, the arrow made every instance seem contrived. How else to affect motion, forward thrust, adelante, without resorting to cliched gesture?

Though it now seems an obvious solution, the drop shadow that finally gave ‘Going’ some needed volition was derived not from focus groups or administrative consensus. The illusive drop shadow, like so many ‘inspired’ ideas, occurred by an energetic game of trial and error.

Going continues to monthly trump its user numbers, and has spread to over thirty major markets nationwide. It keeps going, and going, and going.

Los Angeles is Wired

WiredLA is an online events listing page for Los Angeles and Orange County. While it promotes a wide variety of cultural and entertainment activities around southern California, its primary focus is on electronic dance music.

We created a bold logotype which contained the actual word (rather than an icon and type combo for instance) so that the icon would constantly represent, whether as a tiny monogram on a club flyer, or as a huge banner hoisted above a sweaty crowd at Coachella.

Game Changer

Ho Chi Minh City has become one of the world’s top hubs for digital animation and video game production. Colorola was privileged to work one of Vietnam’s top game developers creating the brand ID for their award winning production company.

Naked Music Brand ID

Two ID’s really. The label’s manager, Bruno Ybarra thought we should have a back-up in case the ‘naked chick’ didn’t work out. And though the Naked Music illustrated logo created a huge sensation with the global club crowds, the ‘Muni NM’ logo was a vital visual asset for the brand. Having two functioning logos helped to distinguish certain types of releases, and gave us double the merchandising. There was never any confusion, as each played off the other across numerous marketing platforms and media.

La Vida Cosmopolatina

It was at Magic in Vegas, 1997 that Stuart Patterson (principal of Colorola) met los hermanos Custo. They were familiar with the work he had done for Wallpaper* as well as his nightclub graphics for Twilo and Sound Factory in New York. Custo was known at the time as Custo Line, an awkward English phrasing that the Catalans hoped would provide a bit of US market leverage for their brand of high end t-shirts.

Stuart recommended that if they wanted to get some American love, they promote the sexy Mediterranean aspect of the brand. And thus, Custo Barcelona was born. They brought Stuart to Barcelona where he worked closely with the brothers for several seasons. 3 years later, and still in Barcelona, Stuart launched Colorola on Rambla Catalunya, and the rest is graphics history.

Hollywood Sequel

Evoking the decadent history of this 1926 Hollywood theater, Colorola created a custom crest, and refashioned it with an asymmetrical placement of the name in a bold san-serif font, Berthold Akzidenz Gothic.  Additionally, we provided the venue with a deco themed logotype, also consistent with it’s history.  This auxiliary ID is used in tandem with the Classic crest, or as a stand-alone when the Victorian motif is overly decorative.

After a multi-million dollar renovation of the infamous Palace Theater at Hollywood and Vine, Colorola designed the sexy and versatile brand system for its new moniker: Avalon.  We took elements of the main venue’s logo to create a separate yet consistent ID for its Saturday night dance party, Avaland.

Barcelona Gets Its Circuit On

Colorola designed the branding and promotion for one of Europe’s largest gay dance festivals.

Le Gay Presse

Dedicated to beauty, art, and freedom of expression, OhlalaMag is an internationally acclaimed online gay fashion magazine and photograph journal, conceived in Paris, but based in Hollywood.

Colorola created a new look for a classic Southern California bespoke clothier.

One of Ibiza’s most notorious polysexual dance parties, Ken turned it out twice a month at Pacha for 4 consecutive years, a rare LTR on an island known for fast turnovers.

Antonio Miro is a Barcelona clothing designer with a reputation for clean lines and an austere color palate.  We truncated our normally elaborate, illustrative style to deliver a refined and decidedly austere logotype.