Zimmer Design’s Branding For Bar Vetti Will Fill You Up With Whimsy (and Bucatini)

The Louisville-based branding and creative studio Zimmer Design has created the identity for Bar Vetti, an Italian restaurant in Louisville, Kentucky. The branding’s inspiration was simple: what will make you smile while twirling Bucatini around your fork? The visuals are clever with fresh illustrations, pops of whimsical pink, and an eclectic mashup of different font styles that effortlessly work together. From the menu design to the takeout boxes, each detail is thoughtful, full of character, and makes me dream of a trip back to Louisville just to visit Bar Vetti.

A little back story: we often kick off projects by digging into various creative source materials such as eras in art history or musical genres or recent travel destinations. Drawing inspiration from the vast archive that is Italian graphic design was hardly a chore when we were tasked with refreshing part of the branding of hospitality client Bar Vetti. An Italian restaurant in Louisville, Bar Vetti is that elevated neighborhood spot where you want to sip your morning espresso, mangia your evening meal, and toast the close of another day.

What we coined ‘Bar Vetti 2.0’ is a gleeful homage to the classic Art Deco packaging and advertising of such Italian Amaro brands as Campari, Sfumato, and Averna. It’s an era rich with folksy, iconic style and an unapologetic verve that transferred seamlessly to the charm and personality of the Bar Vetti ethos. Opportunities for puns like “Employees only pasta this point” were ripe for the plucking.

Our visuals for the updated branding, signage, and collateral lean towards witty, original illustrations in soft pastels and olives. Typography is a mashup of Italian Futurism, International Style, and the aforementioned Art Deco. It’s a brand that’s designed to make you smile while you enjoy your piccata. After all, don’t they say a little laughter with your aperitif aids the digestion?