Inspired by the History,
Craft, & Traditions of
the Great North.
BRAND POSITIONING
CONCEPT DEVELOPMENT
NAMING
IDENTITY
BRAND DESIGN
BRAND GUIDELINES
DIGITAL
ENVIRONMENT DIRECTION
ART STORY
SIGNAGE & WAYFINDING
Credits - Thanks to our amazing client Provenance Hotels for trusting in the power of brand and narrative to lead. Concept development, brand positioning and naming by Denis Kegler, Adam Bagerski, Jodi Glover Thiel and Kylie Freeman. Creative direction by Denis Kegler. Design by Kylie Freeman and Tyler McRobert. Copywriting by Jodi Glover Thiel and Kylie Freeman. Produced by Jodi Glover Thiel. Photography by Toby Grubb, Ash Edmonds and Hans Vivek. Interior design, direction and buildout by ESG.
A once-abundant pine forest, hugged by a lazy river, established Stillwater, Minnesota, as a prosperous timber town and high society. Catastrophic forest fires and a historic log jam were eventually the demise of this Golden era of lumbering. As the town has been reimagined, a 150-year old brewery has been given new life as a boutique hotel and three F&B spaces.
Our ask was to develop concepts, identities and experiences for the hotel, main restaurant and cocktail bar that would seamlessly fit together, tie to the area and add to the property’s unique features.
Feller, in environment and identity, honors the history and tragedies that shaped Stillwater. The space embodies this past through a wood-fired oven, use of raw materials and preservation of the 150 year-old stone walls.
Using the lumberjack as our muse, we took an intentionally masculine approach to the naming and aesthetic. The timeless tools of the trade inspired the visual cues and graphic shapes apparent within the letterforms.
The color combination of tannin gold and charred black nod to the tannin-stained St. Croix river. The river's tint is due to sunken logs from the famous log jam of 1886.
Weathered raw steel and Shou Sugi Ban burnt wood is used throughout the interior and signage. These materials symbolize the lumber industry and tragic fires that influenced the city’s development.
The sharp shapes, meaningful textures and bold color combinations extend into all marketing and cohesive print collateral.
