FirstFed Coffee
Deliverables
Brand Identity
FirstFed Coffee, located in the First Federal Bank Building in the heart of the ritzy Biltmore District, is sure to be one of the best spots in Downtown Phoenix, AZ for an uptown cup of joe.
The Challenge
The team tasked with overseeing the development of the FirstFed identity was not sure what direction they should go with their new brand. However, there were several things they did know. First, they had a name inspired by the old First Federal Bank Building in the Biltmore district, an upscale section of downtown Phoenix, Arizona. Second, by sheer virtue of their location, they would be serving an affluent demographic. Third, the building was designed in 1969 by architect Al Beadle, who had his heyday in the mid-century era. Finally, the U.S. dollar bill (a natural conceptual corollary to banks and affluence) was also designed during the mid-century era, in 1963. While it seem to us that the writing was on the wall for the new FirstFed brand, they were looking for some expertise to provide not only strategic direction, but first-class creative execution of the new brand.
The Solution
It did not take long to see that a currency-themed identity—with its retro, minimalist, mid-century financial feel—was a no-brainer. More than that, it was clearly apparent that to go in any other direction would be a missed opportunity. The FirstFed team enthusiastically agreed.
A note about the secondary mark, a.k.a. the FirstFed Seal, which is especially cool for several reasons. First, it’s conceptually rooted in the Federal Reserve seal but localized to Phoenix. Second, it features a custom Arizona-shaped icon which includes a saguaro cactus pulled directly from the retro maroon-and-white Arizona license plate.
