The vet experience has traditionally left much to be desired, with a lack of transparency often resulting in it feeling overtly transactional and overwhelming for pet owners.

Founded by Dr Audrey Wystrach, who has worked as a vet for over 20 years, and her brother Michael Wystrach, Petfolk is envisioned as a modern veterinary care brand tailored for today’s generation of ‘pet parents’.

Operating out of physical locations in North Carolina, with more due to open in Florida and Georgia, the brand also offers virtual care options with a focus on improving the overall patient experience.

Recognising the need to move away from the clinical clichés of most vet brands, Petfolk’s founders tasked creative agency Zero with developing the brand name, strategy, visual identity, tone of voice, web design and environmental design.

The agency set out to create a visual identity in keeping with Petfolk’s brand platform, Community of Care. “We aimed to make Petfolk stand out and feel different by making the brand feel warm, nurturing and community-oriented – infusing the brand with joy and making it feel less clinical than other brands in the space,” says partner and creative director, Chelsea Goldwell.

At the core of the new brand is a ‘seal’ symbol, which evokes the shape of both an animal’s snout and a heart. Zero collaborated with artist Alex Proba to create a series of patterns to sit alongside the logo, which embody the joyful nature of the brand.

The primary colour palette mirrors the natural tones of animal fur and skin, while a secondary palette is inspired by tones found in nature. Photography also plays a central role in the brand, communicating compassion and highlighting the emotional relationship between pets and their owners.

It’s a stylish-yet-human approach that taps into the growing movement towards more design-led pet brands – most of them aimed squarely at the millennial demographic that increasingly views pets as valued family members.

zero.nyc