Gold Graphics, Illustration and Visual Communication Design · 2025

La Plage Brand Identity

by Ebru Sile Goksel and Ipek Eris Ugurlu

A' Design Award 2025 Gold Winner in Graphics, Illustration and Visual Communication Design
Awarded April 15, 2025
CLIENT: Studio Born
Estimated Number of Design Views: 200,131
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About La Plage Brand Identity

La Plage is a bold and nostalgic brand identity inspired by the effortless charm of 1950s beach culture. Blending bohemian elegance with seaside sophistication, it features vintage inspired illustrations, expressive typography, and a rich palette of terracotta, green, and gold. Playful slogans, luxe textures, and tactile print finishes enhance the experience, crafting a timeless world where vintage charm seamlessly blends with contemporary elegance. Every detail is crafted to evoke sun soaked leisure, artistic expression, and timeless storytelling with a touch of coastal allure.

La Plage Brand Identity by Ebru Sile Goksel emerges from a rich tradition of hospitality visual communication that draws upon the golden age of leisure travel and the enduring appeal of coastal sophistication, creating a cohesive visual system that speaks to contemporary audiences while honoring established aesthetic lineages. The work demonstrates exceptional command of illustrative tradition, employing a stylized figural vocabulary reminiscent of early twentieth-century poster art and the elegant simplifications of Art Deco commercial illustration, yet rendered with a contemporary restraint that avoids pastiche in favor of thoughtful reinterpretation. The chromatic decisions reveal sophisticated understanding of how limited palettes create memorable brand recognition, with the deep olive grounds providing sufficient gravitas to anchor the playful illustrative content while allowing gold metallic elements and cream-toned figures to achieve maximum luminosity and legibility. Technical execution across the coaster series demonstrates remarkable consistency in handling, from the precise registration of typographic elements to the delicate rendering of figure details and the seamless integration of decorative borders that frame without constraining the central imagery. The thematic content celebrates leisure as a form of personal renewal, depicting figures engaged in the timeless pleasures of seaside relaxation—reclining beneath sun, poised with parasol, diving into water—activities that transcend specific cultural moments to speak to universal desires for rest and recreation. The environmental presentation, with its carefully art-directed props including woven basket, botanical elements, and citrus garnish, extends the brand narrative beyond the printed pieces themselves to suggest the complete sensory experience awaiting guests. What values does this visual language communicate about the establishment it represents, and how might the experience of encountering these objects during a visit contribute to lasting impressions of hospitality and refined pleasure?

Press Kit

Unique Properties: The brand identity for La Plage bridges 1950s beach nostalgia with modern sophistication. Vintage-inspired illustrations, bold typography, and a refined palette of terracotta, green, and gold accents create a timeless aesthetic. Holistic design—from intricate decor to a captivating color story—and advanced printing techniques heighten its visual appeal. Playful slogans like "Girls just wanna have sun" and "Sea la vie," paired with whimsical illustrations, enhance its charm and coastal elegance. Every visual element within the identity contributes to a subtle yet captivating narrative, layering charm and storytelling into the design and shaping a unique brand experience.
Dimensions & Packaging: We conceptualized and designed a wide range of materials, from coasters and napkins to staff uniforms, food and drink menus, bags, wrapping paper, packaging details, signage, wall graphics, and all corporate printed materials. With a holistic approach, we crafted a cohesive visual language, ensuring each element featured a unique touch, avoiding repetition in design and infusing richness into every detail.
Tags: restaurant, branding, typography, illustration, design, identity, graphic design, logo, La Plage, Studio Born
Production Technology: With its distinctive fusion of typography and visuals, the brand creates an immersive and singular world that captivates and engages. Extensive research into typography led to the creation of font pairings that effortlessly balance warmth and sophistication. The logotype was designed with a memorable yet effortless character, perfectly reflecting the brand’s identity—elegant yet approachable. Inspired by vintage photographs, the illustrations evolved from hand sketches into playful, bohemian frames, meticulously digitized and refined with shadows and color to create depth and dimension. The dynamic, expressive typography of the witty slogans was integrated seamlessly with the illustrations, creating a visual harmony that amplifies the brand’s personality. From concept to finalization, we focused on every detail of each print file, carefully selecting materials, paper weights, and textures to create a cohesive brand experience. Pantone colors and gold foil accents were incorporated to enhance the visual appeal, while special printing techniques, such as foil stamping, were used to elevate the branding's tactile experience with elegance. This approach ensured that every element contributed to a refined, memorable brand identity.
Design Challenge: The primary goal and challenge of this project was to create a distinctive visual identity that would set the restaurant apart from other top-tier establishments in the industry, quickly capturing and engaging guests. We aimed to craft a bold, signature brand that would shine through both its striking visual storytelling and unique tone of voice. Every detail within the restaurant had to embody La Plage's bohemian allure and seaside charm. We carefully curated every element, from the materials used to the printing techniques. During the printing process, we ensured the flawless application of gold foil accents through meticulous oversight. We also collaborated closely with the architectural team to develop branding concepts for the exterior and signage.
Project Duration: The project started in April 2024 and the creative process spanned 2,5 months, from scratch to completion. Every branding element was meticulously crafted, blending retro illustration styles with distinctive typography. We took a holistic approach to each collateral, ensuring consistency while preserving the vibrant energy of visual storytelling throughout the design. After the client approved the branding concept, we finalized the print files, selected materials, applied Pantone colors, and incorporated special printing techniques to bring the design to life. The branding project was finalized in June 2024, and La Plage launched in August 2024. With all interior finishes in place, the restaurant quickly attracted attention, becoming a highly popular spot in Istanbul.
Operation Flow: The La Plage branding operates as a cohesive brand identity system, seamlessly integrating across various touchpoints. The use of tactile printing techniques, like foil stamping, enhances the sensory appeal, ensuring a more immersive and visually striking result. The entire experience, from the moment you pass by the restaurant to when you enter, order food from the menu, and toast with your glass while enjoying an unforgettable moment, is crafted with cohesive and rich visual storytelling.
Research: We conducted thorough research into the 1950s lifestyle through visual archives, drawing inspiration from a variety of photos. Each image contributed to a series of cohesive illustrations, with elements taken from backgrounds, poses, clothing, lifestyle and era-defining details. We combined retro-inspired typography with striking gold foil details within the graphics and illustrations. Our goal was to create illustrations that were not only memorable and catchy but also told their own unique story, capturing the vibe of the 1950s in a visually compelling way.
Inspiration: La Plage draws inspiration from archival photos of the 1950s beachside lifestyle. We created playful and engaging compositions that evoke the era’s nostalgic charm. A blend of bohemian allure and seaside nostalgia is brought to life through sophisticated figures and whimsical scenes. Bold and striking typography complements the interior’s aesthetic, embodying a captivating narrative of seaside elegance with an artistic flair. Every detail was carefully crafted, inviting guests to escape the ordinary.
Image Credits: Client: La Plage No.14
Branding Project: Studio Born
Creative Directors & Designers: Ipek Eris Ugurlu, Ebru Sile Goksel
Copywriting: Studio Born
Photographer: Haldun Kırkbir
Styling & Art Direction: Studio Born
Print House: Focus Print
Interior Design: Architag
Patents: No: 2023 122231, Date: 08.02.2024

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