When people talk about where to find exciting food in Hong Kong, they’re not often thinking of the basement of Jardine House – one of Hong Kong’s most famous office towers in the corporate Central district, which is now home to an unlikely food and drink destination called BaseHall.

Otherway partnered with BaseHall and Hongkong Land to create an East Asian food hall concept that would make an unforgettable brand centred on food, but which could also flex to become an experiential hub for cultural events.

The studio needed to create an eye-catching brand that would earn credibility in the food and drink world. The brand personality was therefore built around two ideas – ‘playful food lover’ meets ‘passionate food expert’ – to allow different tones and stories to come through.

From the signage to the photography, BaseHall’s brand identity is influenced by the visual culture of Hong Kong. For example, the grid-based system was initially inspired by the traditional lightbox signage of the city. Otherway also created a unique typeface that hints at the circular porthole-style windows of Jardine House.

An incredible range of food can be found at BaseHall – everything from a 60-year-old roast goose shop to new Michelin-star experiences. To reflect this variety and give every vendor an equal chance of standing out, each one was given a bespoke identity, which linked to a signature dish or even a story about the owners themselves. The agency commissioned a range of East Asian illustrators to bring the different restaurants to life.

With a distinctive identity and tone of voice, BaseHall is now tempting people to a completely new kind of destination in a part of Hong Kong they would never normally venture into for food.

Credits:
Basehall Hong Kong
Winner: Brand Identity_Launch
Entrant: Otherway
Agency: Otherway
Illustrators: Vanilla Chi, Natsumi Chikayasu, Lan Truong, Wendy Wong, Ginko Yang