Hasta La Ideas

Aesop has created a playful pastel identity system for new Camden street food outlet, Toastits.

Toastits opens on Monday at Camden Lock Market and will serve a range of gourmet toasties, including the intriguingly named Bloody Mary. Owner Phillie Kenyon Shutes asked Aesop to create an identity that would convey an artisanal feel, but with a little added personality.

The brand logo features a ‘T’ in a slice of bread marked with grill lines. As Aesop designer Danii Maltman explains, it had to be simple, versatile and instantly recognisable.

The marque has so far been applied to coffee cups, napkins, wrapping paper, stationery and loyalty cards, which also feature a series of graphic patterns. Napkins and stationery play on the brand’s name, with phrases such as ‘nice raclette’ and ‘you’re drooling’, while cups are marked ‘D cup’ and ‘C cup’.

“The brief was very open – there were no limitations – which was great as we managed to put in a few discoverables that play on the Toastits name…[to] keep it playful and cheeky whilst still looking contemporary,” explains Maltman.

The pastel palette may seem an unusual choice for a sandwich stall, but Maltman says the aim was to stand out from the brightly coloured, hand written signs found around Camden Lock.

“The colour palette was [also] inspired by chalk colours from market chalk boards, but is ultimately young and fresh, which reflects the personality of the owner,” Maltman adds.

It’s a simple scheme but a distinctive one, and Maltman says the idea was to create “a scalable design that could start a bit more lo-fi and easily expand and grow as the business grows.”