BRAND IDENTITY
2021
El Santo: the warm side of Glasgow
El Santo is a Latino-American bar and restaurant that opened in Glasgow's West End in late 2021. The founders—two Glasgow restaurateurs with experience running casual dining establishments—wanted to enter the city's competitive upscale dining scene with a concept that elevated Latin American cuisine beyond the typical "casual Mexican" positioning.
Glasgow's restaurant market was saturated with Mexican chains (Chiquito, Topolabamba) and independent tapas bars, most positioned as affordable, casual options with predictable visual identities: bright colors, papel picado decorations, and playful typography. The challenge was creating a brand that could command premium pricing (£25-40 per person vs £15-20 for casual competitors) while maintaining the warmth and vibrancy associated with Latin American hospitality.
The owners needed a complete brand identity from scratch—they had a name ("El Santo," Spanish for "The Saint") and a vision for "sophisticated Latin American dining," but no visual identity, no positioning strategy, and no market presence six months before their planned opening.
Project Details:
Role: Brand Identity Designer & Launch Campaign Lead (freelance)
Timeline: 6 months (April - Sept 2021)
Scope: Complete brand development, pre-launch marketing campaign, collateral design
Deliverables: Logo system, brand guidelines, menus, signage, promotional campaign materials
The Objectives:
Elevate perception: Position Latin American cuisine as upscale dining experience, not fast-casual
Create differentiation: Stand out from casual Mexican restaurants and generic tapas bars
Build pre-launch awareness: Generate interest and reservations before opening day
Support premium pricing: Create visual sophistication that justifies higher price points
I analyzed Glasgow's Latin American dining landscape and broader upscale restaurant market:
Existing Latin American restaurants (8 analyzed):
6/8 positioned as casual/affordable (average entrée £10-15)
Visual identities skewed toward bright colors (yellows, oranges, reds)
Typography was predominantly playful or handwritten
Heavy use of literal cultural symbols (cacti, sombreros, chili peppers)
Upscale Glasgow restaurants (non-Latin, 10 analyzed):
Strong use of dark color palettes (blacks, navy, deep greens)
Minimal, refined typography
Photography-forward marketing emphasizing food quality
Price points £25-45 per person
Gap identified: No Latin American restaurant in Glasgow occupied the upscale position. Visual language of Latin American dining was locked into "fun and affordable"—creating opportunity for sophisticated repositioning.
Owner Interviews & Brand Workshop
Conducted extensive sessions with the two owners to define brand strategy and values:
Owner vision:
"We want people to celebrate here, but not feel like they're in a theme park"
"Latin American food can be as refined as French or Italian—we need to show that"
Target customer: 30-50 years old, disposable income, seeks experiences over transactions
Dining occasion: Date nights, celebrations, business dinners—not casual weeknight meals
Core brand values identified:
Heritage: Authentic Latin American culinary traditions and ingredients
Craft: Artisanal preparation, carefully sourced spirits, attention to detail
Warmth: Welcoming atmosphere that honors Latino hospitality traditions
Sophistication: Elevated experience worthy of special occasions
Name analysis: "El Santo" (The Saint) provided rich symbolic territory—religious iconography, reverence, something sacred/special. This could be leveraged for sophistication without being heavy-handed.
Competitive Dining Insights
Visited 5 upscale Glasgow restaurants (non-Latin) as research:
Photographed interior design, collected menus, observed table settings
Common patterns: leather-bound menus, minimal color palettes, quality paper stock, subtle branding
Noted that successful upscale restaurants used restraint—logos were small, not dominant
Also visited 3 casual Mexican restaurants in Glasgow:
Observed energetic, colorful environments with oversaturated branding
Noticed families with children, groups of students—different demographic than El Santo's target
Confirmed that visual language of "affordable Mexican" was distinctly different territory
Strategic Direction
Developed positioning strategy that bridged sophistication with cultural authenticity:
Brand Positioning: "Latin American fine dining for celebration"—emphasizing special occasions and elevated experience
Visual Strategy: Merge cultural symbolism with refined execution. Use Latin American iconography (Aztec references, geometric patterns) but render in sophisticated, minimal way. Dark, rich color palette instead of bright primaries.
Tone: Reverent yet warm—treating Latin American heritage as something precious and worthy of celebration, not cartoonish or kitschy
The name "El Santo" immediately suggested religious and spiritual symbolism. I explored three directions:
Direction 1: Literal Saint Icon Illustrated halo and saint figure combined with typography. Client feedback: "Too religious, might alienate non-religious customers."
Direction 2: Pure Typography Custom lettering with subtle decorative elements. Feedback: "Nice but doesn't feel distinctive enough—could be any Spanish restaurant."
Direction 3: Symbolic Crown Integration Combined custom lettering with Aztec sun stone references and crown/diadem element. This direction resonated—it honored heritage while suggesting luxury and importance.
I developed Direction 3 into the final identity with several key design choices:
Custom Typography: Hand-drew letterforms for "El Santo" rather than using existing fonts. The organic, slightly imperfect quality adds warmth and craft feeling. Letters connect in places, creating unified wordmark that feels like a signature or seal.
Aztec Sun Stone Integration: Incorporated simplified geometric patterns inspired by the Aztec calendar stone—radiating lines and circular forms. These appear subtly within letters and as background pattern elements. Cultural reference is present but not literal or overwhelming.
Crown/Diadem Element: Added decorative crown above the wordmark. This serves multiple purposes: suggests "royalty" and premium positioning, references religious iconography (saints wear crowns), creates vertical element that makes logo distinctive.
Refinements:
Tested logo at multiple sizes—ensured crown detail didn't disappear when small
Created simplified version (wordmark only) for applications where full logo was too complex
Developed pattern system using radiating line motif for backgrounds and textures
Color Palette Strategy
Developed palette that breaks Latin American restaurant conventions:
Primary Colors:
Deep Burgundy (#6B1B26): Rich, sophisticated red that references wine and premium dining. Warmer than corporate burgundy.
Warm Black (#1C1410): Slightly brown-tinted black for depth and warmth
Antique Gold (#C9A961): For crown element and accent details—suggests luxury without being garish
Supporting Colors:
Cream (#F5EFE6): For backgrounds and menu paper stock
Terracotta (#C1592F): Used sparingly for warmth in supporting graphics
Strategic rationale: The dark, rich palette positions El Santo alongside upscale wine bars and fine dining rather than casual Mexican restaurants. Gold accents add luxury. Avoided bright yellows, oranges, reds that signal "affordable Mexican."
Pattern System
Created geometric pattern derived from Aztec sun stone radiating lines:
Used as subtle texture on menus and business cards
Appears as background element on signage
Applied to custom cocktail napkins and coasters
Creates visual continuity without overwhelming primary logo
Application Design
Extended identity to restaurant touchpoints:
Menus:
Leather-bound covers with small embossed gold logo
Interior pages on cream stock with burgundy typography
Pattern used as subtle watermark on each page
Designed separate cocktail menu with same system
Interior Signage:
Entrance sign: Deep burgundy background with gold logo
Restroom signage using simplified wordmark
Table number cards with pattern detail
Promotional Materials:
Business cards on thick uncoated stock with gold foil crown
Gift vouchers designed like certificates with decorative border
Social media templates maintaining dark, sophisticated aesthetic
With opening scheduled for October 2021, I designed a 6-week pre-launch marketing campaign to build awareness and drive early reservations:
Campaign concept: "Something sacred is coming to Glasgow"—creating mystery and anticipation without revealing full details immediately.
Week 1-2: Teaser Phase
Minimal posters featuring just the crown symbol and date: "October 2021"
Placed in 12 high-traffic West End locations (bus stops, building hoardings)
Social media accounts opened with same minimal teaser aesthetic
Week 3-4: Reveal Phase
Updated posters with full logo and tagline: "Latin American Bar & Kitchen"
Added 3 large-format billboards at key Glasgow locations (Great Western Road, Byres Road, Central Station approach)
Social media showed food photography and interior previews
Launched website with reservation system
Week 5-6: Drive Conversion
Final poster wave highlighting "Opening Week Reservations Now Available"
Influencer preview dinners (5 Glasgow food bloggers invited for soft launch)
Local press outreach resulting in features in The Herald and Glasgow Times
Production & Placement
Managed production of all campaign materials:
Poster Specifications:
6 different designs produced
Sizes: A2 for bus stops, A1 for building sites
Print run: 150 posters total
2-week rotation cycle across 25 locations
Billboard Specifications:
3 large-format sites (48-sheet size)
4-week booking period
Professional installation managed by outdoor advertising partner
Budget management: Total campaign budget: £8,500 (outdoor advertising £6,200, print production £1,800, photography £500)
Measured Outcomes
The pre-launch campaign exceeded expectations:
Reservation Performance:
Reservation system opened 4 weeks before opening
Within first week: 180 reservations booked
By opening day: Fully booked for first 2 weeks of operation (340 reservations)
Peak period (Fri/Sat evenings) remained 90%+ booked through first 2 months
Social Media Growth:
Instagram account reached 2,400 followers before opening (starting from zero 6 weeks prior)
Influencer posts generated 15,000+ combined impressions
User-generated content began appearing before restaurant even opened (people photographing posters/billboards)
Press Coverage:
Featured in 3 local publications before opening
Glasgow Times review (first week post-opening) rated 4/5, specifically praised "sophisticated branding"
Business Impact
Beyond immediate launch success, the brand identity supported long-term positioning:
Price Point Acceptance: Average spend per person during first 3 months: £38—significantly above casual Mexican competitors (£15-20) and comparable to other upscale Glasgow restaurants.
Customer Demographic: Owner reported customer base matched target: primarily 30-50 age range, celebrations/date nights dominant occasion. Few families with young children (unlike casual Mexican restaurants).
Brand Recognition: The distinctive crown element became recognizable—customers began hashtagging #ElSantoGlasgow organically, using the crown emoji in posts.