Strategy
Art Direction
Copywriting
Identity
Roll-Out
Resurrecting the neighbourhood bar in South Belfast
2022
Southside Social made its mark on Belfast’s nightlife in 2022, bringing a timeless, confident personality to the city’s bustling Botanic Avenue. Angel & Anchor worked with the owners to craft a brand identity that captured the bar’s love for classic cocktails and late-night socializing. The design, inspired by mid-century aesthetics and 80s social clubs, includes deep green leather booths, wood paneling, and artfully tiled cocktail bar.
A cocktail of collaboration and good times on tap combine in this unique project. Classy and easygoing, the bar's brand Southside Social to life. Here today and still here tomorrow, find your new local just off Botanic Avenue, Belfast. Meet you there.
The identity, informed by the personality and brand strategy, is led by a tri-story logomark. Reflecting the tipping of a cup to cheers, speech bubbles of a bustling bar, and ‘rounds’ among friends, the symbol brings together the bar’s narrative into one balanced mark.
Brand Language formed another critical component of the Southside Social brand identity. A set of key and secondary phrases bring the bar's character to the forefront of its interactions with the public and express its brand personality through written form. The ethos of the language was created focusing on the community-centred nature of the bar with phrases like "the original neighbourhood bar" and "where it really happens".
“A&A gave us everything we needed to hit the ground running—brand name, identity, language, packaging, menus to social content and more. We couldn’t be happier with how it all turned out and would recommend Angel & Anchor in a heartbeat..”
- Thomas Camblin, Head of Development at Ringland Group
