Bruin Bodega

Brand Development

CONE Center of Entrepreneurship, Belmont University

Sign for 'The Bruin Bodega' attached to a brick wall, with bold yellow, red, and white lettering.
Handwritten word 'Love' in cursive script with a light pink color.
Logo displaying the words 'BRUIN BODEGA' in bold, orange and white text on an orange background with a decorative diamond shape in between.

Research

Primary Audience:

Belmont University Students

Secondary Audience:

Belmont University Faculty/Staff

Brand Motivation:

Creating a space for students to purchase high quality food and products that are both locally made and (mostly) Belmont-alumni owned

CULTURAL RESONANCE:

Bodegas, originally from the Spanish word for wine cellar or boutique, became crucial cultural and community hubs in New York City, particularly after World War II when Cuban, Puerto Rican, and Dominican immigrants established them as sources for homeland essentials, community news, and affordable goods

General Visual Direction

Sign for MonteLupo Italian Market with green and white striped awning.
Colorful ice cream shop named 'Paul's Daughter' with a striped awning, serving ice cream, cotton candy, popcorn, pizza, fries, fried calamari, and other snacks on a sunny day.
Sign for The Dutch, a bar and restaurant with oyster room

Refined Visual Direction

A bright yellow storefront with a sign reading 'BODEGA' and advertisements for fruit looses, beer, and candy. A man in a neon green shirt is shopping inside, looking at products on the shelves.
A liquor store front with multiple signs, including a large yellow sign saying 'QUICK STOP' and smaller signs advertising beer, wine, liquor, cigarettes, snacks, sodas, and 7UP branding. The store has a glass entrance with a person inside and various product advertisements on the door.
storefront with a yellow and red sign reading 'GROCERY' and 'NEW YORK DELI & GROCERY,' displaying snacks and packaged foods inside.

Applying Research to Color Choices

While we want to stay true to the Caribbean design style of the New York bodega, we also wanted to add Italian, Middle Eastern, and Latin influences into the mix to reflect the variety of product local Nashvillians provide the store. This pushed me to change the tones of red, blue and yellow to versions used in and amongst those cultures.

Four colored squares arranged horizontally: yellow, white, red, and light blue, on a gray background.
Color bar with four sections in orange, red, teal, and dark teal, labeled with hex codes #eda040, #db4d33, #26596d.

original colors

new colors

Final Brand Guide

Orange background with the text 'BRUIN BODEGA' in red and white font, and 'brand guidelines' underneath in white, surrounded by small white diamond shapes.
A graphic displaying three font samples with the titles 'Font Prioritization', 'Primary Font: Loz Feliz Ot Bold', 'Secondary Font: Los Feliz Ot Roman', and 'Tertiary Font: BC Novatica Regular'.
A collection of signage and product design examples, including window signs advertising sales and special offers, and product packaging for food and promotional items.
Collage of vintage signs and storefronts with the title 'Brand Inspiration' on a red background.
A graphic illustrating color and application for contrast priority. It features a color palette with three colors: #eda040 (orange), #db4d33 (red), and #26596d (blue). There are two circular contrast examples showing numbers 70, 20, and 10, demonstrating contrast levels on different background colors.
Page showing logo variations for 'Bruin Bodega'. The primary logo features the text 'BRUIN BODEGA' in red with white and orange shadows, inside a yellow rectangle outlined in dark green. A suggested tag/label logo shows the initials 'B B' in yellow on a red diamond shape with dark green accents.

In-Store Brand Application

Brick storefront with blue awning, red metal chairs and table outside, large window with signs that read "LUMINOUS OWNED BRANDS," "STUDENT MADE FOOD," and "LOCAL SNACKS & TREATS," open sign, and a yellow and blue "BRUIN BODEGA" sign above the entrance. Green leaves hanging from a tree at the top of the image.
Section of a grocery store called 'Grab & Go' with refrigerated items including hummus, bottled drinks, and a person's hand holding a beverage on the right, and a potted plant in the background.
A storefront with large window displaying signs that read 'Alumni Owned Brands' and 'Student Made Food.' Outside, there are red metal chairs and a table on the sidewalk. A hanging flower basket is above the window, and trees and cars are reflected in the glass.
Jars of apple and pumpkin butters on wooden shelves in a store.
A café with two women sitting at a white round table, talking. The café has a checkered floor, exposed ceiling pipes, and a counter at the back with a staff member. Shelves display snacks and drinks, and there's a colorful orange logo on the wall.
A store clerk and a customer at the checkout counter in a retail store with a large orange "B" logo on the wall behind them.