Trip-hop & Massive Attack. Acid house & Carl Cox. Drum and bass & Goldie. There’s no doubt: Lakota is a legendary part of Bristol’s rich and longstanding music scene. After 30 years of progressive programming, the venue wanted a modern brand for its new chapter. One that acknowledged its past, set the tone for the future, and represented the increasingly diverse events it’s putting on.

As a club close to my heart, I was chuffed to be the lead copywriter (under the incredibly talented Rhombus Studio), working alongside a creative director on brand identity and architecture, tone of voice, custom-built website, animation, brand launch, and rollout.

From exhaustive stakeholder interrogations to poring over their old archive photography, and multiple club trips studying the architecture and features, the new identity needed to reflect the rawness of the brand’s spirit. We conceived and developed a modular system inspired by the venue’s heritage, ethos, and visions, incorporating textures from the iconic sticky floors, worn walls, and original stonework. The tone of voice was built on ‘rebels with a cause’ – a purposeful new attitude underpinned by a rebellious past and community focus.

Photo suite coming soon, but in the meantime, check out their new website.