We eat colour
WHEN CUSTOMERS EAT AT
Ella Canta
We want them to feel like they’re eating at a different kind of Mexican restaurant.
Superstar Mexican chef, Martha Ortiz was bringing her celebration of Mexico to InterContinental, Park Lane London. Our job was to name and brand the new restaurant – Martha’s first venture out of South America.
Ella Canta (Spanish for ‘She Sings’), delivers the beauty, colours, stories and spirit of Modern Mexico to London. Using ‘We Eat Colour’ as the strapline, the brand and identity plays with Martha being both an artist and a curator. Each dish is a masterpiece, full of narrative and colour. Alongside the logo and strapline, we created a shorthand symbol which depicts a Jaguar (or Panthera Onca) – created to represent feline beauty, taking inspiration from Aztec symbols in Central Mexico.
Like a modern art gallery, Martha’s menu changes seasonally to re-tell another of Mexico’s enchanting stories. Her first menu, entitled ‘Painted Black’, is a celebration of Mexico’s Day of the Dead. For each new season a different artist will be commissioned to interpret the new menu visually.
To keep challenging perceptions, Ella Canta brings their guests unexpected stories of what’s happening in Mexico right now. Shared through their social channels and a special ‘Mexico Today’ section on their website, ‘Hoy’ (‘Today’ in Spanish) stories range from a photo journey of Las Marias (A Mexican all-female motorcycle gang) to the story of Cabo Pulmo – the jewel of the Eastern Cape.
WHAT WE DID:
- Brand strategy & positioning
- Naming
- Visual Identity
- Website
- Copywriting & tone of voice
- Photography Art Direction
“&Smith were instrumental in the development of our brand. They really understood that Martha’s version of Mexican food was another level. They named and created a brand that exudes the surprising, refined and artistic nature of her food – a creative journey that we really enjoyed. I’d recommend them in a heartbeat.”
Michael Green
InterContinental London Park Lane, Director of Marketing
