Task
Mitchells & Butlers wanted a name and brand created for the launch of their soon to be launched darts bar venues across the UK.
Solution
I wanted a name that instantly felt established but at the same time distinct and memorable that had a back-story. The marriage of 'arrow' a slang term for a dart but at the same time hinted something more deadly - an edge. 'Smith' on the other hand a familiar and common name that been around for centuries. It also has crafting and artisanal connotations.
I imagined craftsmen wearing blackened leather aprons, fashioning darts out of brass billets in a back room behind the dark wooded 'Futuro' bar ready for their customers to experience the best dart night out of their lives.
Neo Art Deco (future-retro, or as I call it 'Futuro') informed the visual look across website, social platforms, menu and graphics.
Through digital channels my concept was for people to interact and engage with the darts bars, reflecting the brands core proposition; 'competitive socialising'. An app that would let them discover what kind of Arrowsmith lurked inside them by answering a set simple and fun questions, calculated with the help of an algorithm for multiple possible answers.
The names given all come from world of darts that has a wealth of slang terminology for styles of shots e.g. 'The Archer' - a player who throws very quick smooth darts, like an archer's arrow. Another; 'The Chucker' - a player who just "chucks" the darts at the board, doesn't aim or care or a 'Carolina Leaner' - a player who leans as far over the oche, in order to lessen the distance between the throw line and the dartboard.
Players would then be encouraged to share their given darts player alter egos through their preferred social channels and by doing so raise awareness of the brand.
I wanted to capitalise this world rich in slang terms and introduced the darts slang terms across different touchpoints. They were the inspiration for cocktail names and food descriptions giving a language and identity unique to Arrowsmiths.
The best things come in 3's
Inspired by the fact each player has a set of three darts I decided to have '3' as a common thread through all visual collateral; 'Darts, Bevs, Bites' and the use of the 'Trinity Lines' - 3 graphic lines representing the darts flight path. In addition to this all food and drink was art directed to be 3/4 overhead to create a circular shapes referencing the darts board.
Insight
Competitive socialising is on one hand counter-culture to our audience living online by helping people socialise in the real world, but on the other hand it provides exactly the kinds of experiences that people love to share on social media.
Internal promotion posters designed to look like typographic poster art, in keeping with the 'Futuro' interior design
Credit: Clarity