Brand Identity
Kota
About
Kota is a restaurant in Cambridge's Eddington neighborhood, located within the Turing Locke aparthotel and Hyatt Centric Cambridge hotel complex. Known for its thoughtful approach to food and drink, Kota offers brunch, wood-fired food, specialty coffee, cocktails, and craft beer, serving both locals and hotel guests across three distinct areas: a coffee shop, bar & kitchen, and terrace. The interior design subtly references classical elements from nearby St John’s College and incorporates influences from Cambridge's Brutalist 1950s era, creating a unique blend of traditional and modern styles.
Client
Kota
Category
Brand Identity
Deliverables
Identity, Signage, Packaging, Socials, Print, Digital
Challenge
Oat Studio was tasked with creating a brand identity for Kota that captured the restaurant’s thoughtful approach to food and drink while blending its classic and modern design influences. The branding needed to reflect the refined elegance of Cambridge’s academic heritage, as well as the simple, modern shapes and colours inspired by Bauhaus and mid-century design. Additionally, the brand had to differentiate Kota from its sister brand NOVI while maintaining a cohesive connection through their shared values of independence, locality, and environmental consciousness.
Solution
Oat Studio developed a hand-rendered logo for Kota using a reverse-contrast technique to embody the blend of classical and modernist influences in the restaurant's design. We introduced Bauhaus-inspired shapes and a mid-century colour palette, bringing in simple, modern forms with a refined elegance that aligned with both the classical and Brutalist architectural references. This cohesive visual identity was applied across various materials, including business cards, drinks cans, and digital banners. To support Kota’s commitment to sustainability, we used recycled paper stocks and vegetable-based inks for all printed materials. The result is a brand that is visually striking, environmentally responsible, and perfectly aligned with Kota’s thoughtful approach to food and drink, while also complementing the NOVI brand.
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