Maxwell Social
Brand strategy, visual identity, copywriting, content creation, illustration & collateral design.
Maxwell founder David Litwak was looking for an agency to partner with to bring his new-school social club concept to life. He wanted a cohesive brand for his potential investors & customers to fall in love with, as he prepares for a post-COVID launch.
The main goals of the project were to create a brand that was saturated with personality, exists simultaneously in the digital and physical realm, and is extendable across global locations. Over 10 weeks in 2019, we strategized, created, produced 2 photoshoots and set David up with an extensible brand system to bring to market.
Maxwell is a member’s only homespace, an antidote to the crowded, public environment of a bar or club, providing members with a living room away from home. The promise at Maxwell is that every night has scavenger-hunt sponteneity, with a dash of the wild. PS— the wine & beer are complimentary.
Maxwell is a member’s only homespace, an antidote to the crowded, public environment of a bar or club, providing members with a living room away from home. The promise at Maxwell is that every night has scavenger-hunt sponteneity, with a dash of the wild. PS— the wine & beer are complimentary.
What's in a Name?
Maxwell was named after Elsa Maxwell, a larger-than-life socialite known for gathering royalty, intellectuals, the Hollywood A-list, and anyone she found interesting.
Elsa became our brand muse, driving the personality, irreverence and wit through every touchpoint. We brought Elsa to life not only through the personality and copy, but also with an illustrative mark, and alternate versions for various seasons.
Elsa is also woven into many other brand touchpoints, including the brand pillars and the two signatures in the logo system.
Starting with Strategy
We started with our a brand workshop with David & crew to define the motivations and behavior of the Maxwell brand. Through conversations with the founding team, diving into their research, and conducting our own, we developed a strategic viewpoint that guided us through the design process.
For Maxwell, we defined 4 pillars that support all aspects of the brand, created the common guest personas and started to capture the wit and irreverence that’s heard in the tone of voice.
Four brand pillars, all alike in dignity underpinned our design ethos.
A palettte of playful illustrations supports Maxwell's day to day content needs.
The Small Indignities of Nightlife
To support the "not like other clubs" ethos, we wrote a series of acerbic scenarios lampooning the state of night life. From long lines to crowded and overhyped spots, the team could identify many common scenarios that Maxwell could alleviate.
These sardonic narratives fed into the launch of their social content, and concisely explained the, "why?" to future investors and members.
So, we made a brand, but how does that brand extend to various locations that Maxwell plans to expand into? Each club needed it's own seal of personality.
So, we made a brand, but how does that brand extend to various locations that Maxwell plans to expand into? Each club needed it's own seal of personality.
“Working with Studio HMVD was a seamless & rewarding process. Armed with the brand guidelines and assets they gave us, we've received positive feedback from potential investors after each presentation, and successfully launched a substack newsletter.”
“Working with Studio HMVD was a seamless & rewarding process. Armed with the brand guidelines and assets they gave us, we've received positive feedback from potential investors after each presentation, and successfully launched a substack newsletter.”
-David Litwak, Maxwell Founder
Of course, no brand is complete without supporting assets. From custom party games to the mobile app, we designed many touchpoints within the Maxwell experience.
Of course, no brand is complete without supporting assets. From custom party games to the mobile app, we designed many touchpoints within the Maxwell experience.
