Here’s a progressive idea: a restaurant that positions itself as matchmaker. In France, that’s what’s happening with Meetserious, branded by Thomas Leblanc. The general idea is family-style seating where six strangers sit together and see if chemistry is there. It’s a little bit more complicated than that, but that’s the general idea. I’m more focused on the branding of what they do rather than the concept itself (although, it’s a good one). The primary brandmark is one of two toasting glasses, with a swirl of wine in each. The image is interesting because it reminds us of one of the optical illusions we’ve all seen. The one with an image that appears to be either two silhouettes of faces, or a vase in the center. Or is it both? You know the one. This logo is like that and its duality really works for what they’re trying to serve: romance. Many of the design choices for the branding after the mark follow the same inspiration of romance. The kind they’re serving is a little classier, maybe a bit more high-end than your typical dating website. If Bravo’s Millionaire Matchmaker were to have a restaurant, this is probably sort of like what it would be. The branding explores its playful side with unique introductory cards for daters/diners and some of the icons used on the website. It all comes together well and while I think the concept’s target audience is pretty narrow, it has the requisite brand vibe to appeal to that exact audience. Leblanc provided Meetserious with a well-done package to accompany their smart idea. Two of the three necessary aspects of developing a strong brand are those items; now all that’s left is for Meetserious to accomplish the third: consistent execution of the concept.
