Copper Vine Wine Pub + Inn

A casual, but stylish wine bar and restaurant in New Orleans, Copper Vine had already enjoyed a few years of successful operations in the Central Business District. At a moment of strategic growth—when the operations team was about to open an intimate upstairs inn and expand the property’s event spaces—we were commissioned to refresh the verbal and visual identity of this multifaceted hospitality concept to better align with the real world experience of the brand.

Our work focused largely on blending the visually stunning, historic location of Copper Vine—an 1800s brick building that once housed one of NOLA’s longest-running restaurants—with the progressive, social style of the concept’s menus and hospitality. Through custom illustration, strategic font selection, engaging copywriting and a rich color palette, we helped transform this successful business into an eye-catching and evocative brand.

LOCATION

New Orleans, Louisiana

PROJECT SCOPE

Logo Design + Visual Branding
Brand Positioning + Copywriting
Photography Guidelines

COLLABORATORS

Oyster Sunday, Project Management
Jacqueline Marque, Photography
Emily Ferretti, Photography
Cory Fontenot, Photography

Interior of a cozy wine pub or inn with a decorated wall featuring mirrors and framed artwork, and a table set with wine glasses.

The Opportunity

The warm, casual-yet-curated nature of Copper Vine’s service and menus had already attracted a loyal following of neighborhood regulars. Yet the previous branding felt more stiff and generic than the charming in-person experience of the winepub. By digging into the French- and Caribbean-influenced culture of New Orleans—as well as aesthetic references from the bar’s historic location and lush plants—we were able to create a distinct brand with a strong sense of place.

Black and white photo of a two-story building with a balcony and trees, with a street scene including a person and cars in the background, and a tower in the distance.
Logo of Waver Pub & Inn, featuring the initials 'V' with a crescent moon design, a lantern symbol, and the years 1876 and 2018.
View of an outdoor patio area with a table set for dining, surrounded by lush green plants and trees, seen through an open wooden door.
Illustration of a wine bottle with a hanging plant or vine in a frame, next to text about Copper Vine, a New Orleans public house and inn with a vintage style.
A woman wearing a collared shirt and apron, with the embroidered logo 'Copper Vine' on her shirt, leaning down looking at something out of frame.
Woman with a suitcase entering a building labeled 'Copper Vine,' surrounded by green plants near a building with blue walls.
A wall decoration shaped like a lantern hangs on a wall, with green plant leaves casting shadows behind it, and a bright light source creating a glare on the wall.
Close-up of a woman's hand with red nail polish holding a black card with a wine-related logo, while her other hand holds a glass of white wine or champagne. She is seated on a wooden chair, wearing a black top.

The Challenge

Copper Vine’s multi-faceted concept includes: an approachable wine bar, surprisingly elevated (and fairly priced) global cuisine, several event spaces and a stylish upstairs inn. Succinctly communicating these offerings in the context of an engaging brand story required us to focus first and foremost on the spirit of the brand and how these various offerings are all part of a larger hospitality philosophy.

Several nests of freshly made pasta, dusted with flour, arranged on a floured surface in a black and white photo.
A minimalist, stylized logo featuring a bird, possibly a dove, enclosed within a circular shape.
A black plate of grilled steak, French fries, and a small cup of sauce on a wooden table, with a glass of red wine beside it.

Custom Illustrations

The historic location of Copper Vine offered significant inspiration for our visual guidelines. Opting for a loose, playful illustration style, we chose the building’s gas lanterns and wisteria vines as two iconic elements to prioritize. For the wisteria, we positioned a cutting inside a wine bottle vase to incorporate the F&B element, while the lantern was drawn in a flowing vine-like style. These visuals became the basis of a larger illustrated pattern, bringing in additional F&B iconography and text that speak to the brand experience. 

Pattern with sketches of New Orleans architecture, wine glasses, wine bottles, and street lamps on a beige background.
Outdoor restaurant patio with a wooden table set with glasses and napkins, surrounded by white wicker chairs, against a dark blue wall decorated with plants and a mirror, with tall green plants near the door.
Outdoor dining table set with sandwiches, salad, various drinks, and a bowl of soup, surrounded by lush green plants and a blue background.
A bar with a bartender, shelves of liquor bottles, and a long white counter, surrounded by a dining area with a wooden table set with wine glasses and colored glasses, brown chairs, greenery decor, and pendant lighting.

Brand Book

As the Copper Vine team prepared to launch the inn, they were seeking a more compelling way to share their story with both strategic partners and the media. In turn, we were commissioned to create an editorial-inspired brand booklet that spoke to the property’s history, hospitality philosophy, landscaping, artwork and event spaces. Our goal in creating this flippable digital magazine was to not only showcase the intentionality and attention to detail that defines the guest experience at Copper Vine, but also to proactively shape the way their story will be told in publications or on channels far beyond the client’s own online presence.

THOUGHTS FROM THE CLIENT

“A dream team to work with! We love our new branding, and can’t wait to host you at the inn.”