Description:

South Yarra – the cosmopolitan corner of Melbourne – has always had a reputation for setting trends as a cultural hub of food, art and fashion. It’s the ultimate place for stepping out in style and living life as it should be.

Ovolo South Yarra, the neighbourhood's latest hotel addition, sets the scene for an extraordinary hotel experience taking its design cues from the days of disco, rock gods and retro glamour. The vibe of Ovolo South Yarra is bold, creative and unpredictable. All mods. Zero cons.

Each room infuses retro-plush, with accents of chrome and colour, including four Rockstar suites – named after the era’s most iconic, lyrical lovers.
However the real ‘hero’ of the hotel is its independent kitchen and bar, Lona Misa. Inspired by locally-sourced produce and ethical eating, the restaurant also features seasonal cocktails and wines sourced from some of Australia’s most progressive producers.

The brief was to design a memorable restaurant brand to convey the Italian-Spanish inspired food flavours, along with a 'conscious cuisine' approach. The name is an unexpected modern twist on an Italian ‘enigmatic’ classic – no further explanation required here.

The project scope included brand strategy and positioning, naming, identity, brand language, tone of voice & brand book – applied to a range of customer touchpoints. Primary applications include signage, placemaking features, menu design, branded glassware, EDMs & social tiles.

This multi-layered brand consisted of a number bespoke elements including a custom typographic identity with multiple type permutations - providing utmost flexibility for a modern moving brand.

The brand’s colour system was inspired by both Italian Renaissance-era paintings as well as the Lucetti Krelle designed interior fit out.
Red, the psychological colour for both food & passion. Gold, a lavish and opulent colour reminiscent of old paintings. And lastly green, a unifying colour featured prominently within the interior scheme.

As an emphatic centrepiece to the restaurant space we designed a series of custom artworks that created a sense of place and carried the brand narrative through into the space itself.
A large feature wall is created from a series of traditional Renaissance-style paintings interspersed with imagery of ‘sexy veg’ – sometimes alluring, often phallic.
Then across the entire wall is painted a large paint-dripped statement - Mételo en la Boca - designed to pique your interest and start a table conversations. And what does it say? It translates to ‘put it in your mouth!’

The restaurant has opened to high acclaim and remains fully booked weeks in advance. Sometimes, the only way to secure a table at this new South Yarra institution is via booking a hotel room. Viva La Veg!