Businesses don’t exactly embrace drug culture, but Magnolia Gastropub in San Francisco did just that after they took branding direction from Nothing Something. Magnolia needed a shot in the arm, so to speak, and using the influences of the historic drug culture of the 1960’s in San Francisco, Nothing Something produced an image that maintains a high-end feel but is comfortable. The black, gold and silver colors of the pub refer back to the psychedelic days of the past and the small square the holds the logo is a reference to a tab of LSD, the psychedelic era’s drug of choice. Magnolia takes the drug references full circle when they deliver the bill. It’s delivered in a handmade hollow book, a popular choice for hiding your drugs and paraphernalia. The drug references and influences throughout Magnolia are fun, but what’s important to point out is that if you didn’t know the history or the secrets of the concept, it’s possible you’d never realize all of this by sitting inside Magnolia. It could turn some potential customers off and it’s subtly done–or disguised–with a sleekly-designed concept that uses reclaimed materials throughout.
