Branding for a mall in a happening neighbourhood
Ask a millennial and a baby boomer about Tiong Bahru and you'll probably get different answers. This estate was once only known for its bird singing corner and art-deco style shop-houses but has since become a bustling place for cafe-hoppers and hipsters to hang out. The neighbourhood checks every requirement for a hipster place – low-rise HDBs, cafes selling overpriced coffee, mini gardens surrounding the estate, and so on. A perfect place for Instagram OOTDs.
Enter Tiong Bahru Plaza (TBP), a mall which was here way before this cafe craze started. The mall was seemingly overlooked when the hipsters started coming to the neighborhood, and since an expansion for the mall was underway, it was a good time for a rebrand to woo new visitors.
Hipster-ised
TBP's original logo had the same style as 3 of its sister malls, as well as its manager, AsiaMalls.
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| AsiaMall's portfolio in Singapore (In 2015, Both TBP and White Sands changed their logos) |
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| Old TBP Logo |
The old logo was clean and simple but it lacked the hipster vibe of the new Tiong Bahru culture. Also, kerning errors.
In 2015, along with the announcement of the mall expansion, a new brand identity created by Interbrand was introduced. The Thinc Group was in-charge of the mall's marketing communications.
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| Before/after |
"The new brand positioning and grid developed by Interbrand is visually impactful and at the same time, wonderfully nostalgic in nature, with generous use of the vintage window grilles that were (and still is!) the iconic look within the estate as key elements of the brand grid, and perfectly summed by the tagline: "A refreshing blend of old and new."
-The Thinc Group
TBP's new logo is unapologetically hipster...in a good way. Too often do I see brands trying to ride on this trend by posting icons and words with a giant "X" in the middle (don't forget the est. date). This logo is proof that hipster visuals can be distinctive and creative.
Local window grilles serving as an inspiration for this logo is definitely a nice local touch. The mixture of uppercase and lowercase letters for "Tiong Bahru" was done beautifully, as it adds excitement to the logo where the monochrome colours can't. Overall, the logo looks harmonious and balanced with a hint of playfulness.
Pastel is the New Black
Black and white is a good combination for a hipster look, but some might label it as bland and not eye-catching enough, as expressed by a TBP fan on Facebook (See the comment below).
That's why TBP's brand identity consists of 5 colours and patterns which play a crucial role in complementing the monochrome logo. Like a true hipster, they are pastel colours.
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| Colours and Patterns (Source) |
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| Promotion for the TBPTruck, a promotional vehicle which gives out discount vouchers around the neighbourhood (Source) |
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| Illustrations released before TBP's reopening (Source) |
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| Online contests (Source) |
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| Food Inspiration series (Source) |
It can be said that TBP's branding strategy is to 'create a refreshing blend of old and new', so that both the young and old can enjoy shopping at TBP.
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| Mommy and Daddy are kids now. (Source) |
And this is my favourite part – the store directory.
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| The cut-outs! (Sorry for the poor camera quality) |
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| Mockup from The Thic Group (Source) |
Read More:
Rebranding TBP by The Thinc Group | TBP's Instagram
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