PGE–104: House of Gods
Democratising luxury with hotel provocateurs, House of Gods.
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Art Direction, logo design, brand design, photography, signage, website design, fabric patterns, social media assets, & printed collateral
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Winner of the Scottish Design Awards for ‘Best Brand Design’
Secured initial £1.2M private investment along with bank funding pre-launch
Featured in The Scotsman, Business Traveller, Telegraph UK, InsiderUK and Edinburgh Live
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Client & Collaborator:
Mike BaxterAd & drinks photography:
Jodie MannNeon:
Black Box SignsMixologist:
Plato MoysiadisSignpainter:
Thomas PaintsPrint:
Windmill PrintMotion:
Andy TomlinsonArt Direction, Design & Photography: Asa Rodger
Pre-launch // Credit: Photo Jodie Mann
Building a brand in tandem with the interiors direction
LOGO, TYPOGRAPHY, PHOTOgraphy & editing style
This isn't just a mock-up – we really did poster Edinburgh's Cowgate
Story
Have you ever heard of a ‘start-up’ hotel? No, I hadn’t either. The whole business from Mike & Ross Baxter was grossly ambitious. “Who needs another hotel named after a rich guy’s wife?” ...these were the kind of quips Mike rhetorically asked while talking through the concept. Everyone waxes lyrical about bravery in branding and being a disruptive challenger, but House of Gods genuinely do it – from postering Edinburgh’s cobbled Cowgate, panelling the bar with neon-lit Gucci ‘Heron’ wallpaper, painting a Rolls Royce their claret red, or creating a cocktail book around infamous stories of hotel hedonism – not much is off limits.
As a building site flourished into the oak-panelled, velvet-clad hotel, the overall proposition matured, with the company aiming to ‘democratise luxury’. This tone and creative direction is what trickled down through every part of the brand.
Over the course of two years, the work with the owners included brand design, art direction, design and photography to help bring the lofty hotel vision to life while creating a universal brand system. Aside from helping bring the vision to reality, and secure funding, the work then went on to not only be nominated but win the Scottish Design Awards for the Best Brand Design category, while stacked up against some of the country’s best agencies.
From neon signage to brand fabric patterns
Pre-launch interiors shoot // Lilith's Lounge
“The design skills are clear to see. What’s unseen, is Asa’s ability to understand & contribute to a client’s vision – creating a beautiful & commercial design.”
– Mike Baxter, Owner at House of Gods
credit: SIGNPAINTER Thomas Payne // @Thomaspaints
Cards: FOIL CO GOLD ON GF SMITH'S Colorplan claret
WIP: HOUSE OF GODS WEBSITE design
PRE-LAUNCH 'teaser' SOCIAL CONTENT @HOUSEOFGODSHOTEL
COCKTAIL MENU CONCEPT 'ROCK N ROLL HOTEL DEBAUCHERY' // CREDIT: DRINKS PHOTOGRAPHY – JODIE MANN, Mixologist – PLATO MOYSIADIS
Thank you.
A massive thank you goes out to Mike & Ross Baxter – for the vision, care and having me along for the ride as part of this incredible, courageous project.