A whimsical brand for a fun + funky mom-run gift shop.
Squirrel & Scout Co. is a small, mom-run shop that focuses on fun and funky handmade and personalized gifts for everyday celebrations. Sarah came to me "desperately looking for cohesiveness". She wanted the ability to make her social posts, website, market space, and shop items look like they all belong to the same brand.
The brand keywords we landed on were:
- Welcoming
- Personalized
- Fun
- Whimsical
- Quirky
- Happy
- Bubbly
- Effervescent
The new Squirrel & Scout Co. brand is bright, vibrant, and fun with graphic elements to represent its high-quality, handmade products. The style is whimsical yet attainable, and is sophisticated enough to appeal not just to kids, but to the entire family.
We used a Disney-inspired high-contrast color palette, lots of fun shapes and icons, and several patterns to give Sarah a ton of play when it comes to putting together her own professional graphics.
The brand style is as well-crafted and unique as the products themselves, and lets everyone know these are fun and funky gifts—for the whole family!
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Here's a peek at the mood board + branding for Squirrel & Scout Co.
Image credits clockwise from top left:
Castle: Matt Crump | Donuts: Brunch with the Brittains | Party setup: PaintedParade | Champagne: Ice Cream & Neon Dreams | Balloons: PopSugar | Quote // Cat Coquillette | Living Room: Addison's Wonderland | Keychains: JillMakes
And a quick Q&A interview with Sarah about the process!
What do you do?
I’m a full-time wife, mama, and nurse educator with a love for crafting. Squirrel and Scout Co. is my small shop where I can create custom and personalized gifts for my customers. We have a variety of handmade items including shirts, earrings, cutting boards, and home decor. My favorite items are those that my mom hand-makes for the shop – smocked kids’ outfits!
Why did you want a new visual brand?
I’ve had a small shop off and on for the past three years, and I finally decided it was time to put some effort into making it a real business. I chose a new name for the shop, and it made sense to create a cohesive visual brand to go along with our new focus.
What was your favorite part of the branding process?
Seeing my vision come to life. Jenna is fantastic to work with, and she took my thoughts and ideas about the brand and gave them color, depth, and life. It was awesome to work through that process and see new pieces each week as we moved closer to a complete brand.
What was the most challenging part of the branding process?
Putting words to what I wanted. I’ve always had an abstract idea of what I wanted in a brand, but Jenna made me flesh that out and really put some thought into why I have a shop, what I want in a brand, and how that translates visually.
How did you feel before we started working together?
Like I was stuck in a tornado. I had all these ideas and plans swirling around but no direction and no clear path. Giving life to the shop with a new visual brand gave me focus.
How do you feel now that your new brand is complete?
THRILLED! Jenna brought my brand to life and gave me something to be proud of. I feel like I have a path and that my branding has given me an opportunity to be recognizable and create a community around what I can offer.
Did we achieve the look and feel you were going for?
Absolutely. From the vision board to the final product, everything has been very cohesive and Jenna took all my thoughts and opinions into consideration.
What's your favorite part of your new brand?
The extra graphic elements. I was adamant that I didn’t want any animals or anything that felt too child-like. Surprisingly, my favorite piece of the visual branding is a small squirrel badge that fits perfectly in the playful, creative vision for the branding.
What are the next steps for your business?
My new branding celebration is happening soon, and Spring markets are coming up. I’m looking forward to making new business cards and branding my booth this Spring!
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