Bad Habits is an independent tattoo & piercing studio, founded in Brasov (RO) by Dan Lica, local tattoo artist with over 10 years of experience.
Formerly Obsidian Ink, the studio underwent a major management and physical location change, while keeping the core team intact. This notable shift created the need of rebranding, starting with the brand name, strategy and personality all the way to visual identity and touchpoints.
Transforming the gloomy name and pitch black color palette with an overall edgy, dark, common tattoo parlor vibe in a funky, assertive and lively brand dressed in groovy typography and a vivid shade of red orange, as well as smoothly communicating this brand transition was a quest that we were very excited to go on.
The challenge
• Develop new brand name for established local tattoo studio
• Position Bad Habits as a team of experienced tattoo experts who evolved their brand with a complete overhaul
• Switch brand personality and identity from gloomy to lively, yet maintain a dark accent
• Switch brand personality and identity from gloomy to lively, yet maintain a dark accent
• Give off a friendly yet professional look, focused around the new brand name, personality and identity
• Develop brand touchpoints: presentation website, custom icons for social media, stationery, signage, merchandise
• Develop brand assets and guidelines for future brand touchpoints
Our solution
Brand personality
After a couple discovery meetings with Dan, we've learned that the new brand attributes - disruptive, revolutionary, authentic, courageous - best fit Carl Jung's OUTLAW archetype and the VITALITY dimension of Ipsos' Censydiam.
Once we established the brand archetype & personality, we went on to develop a comprehensive list of conceptual brand names that fit the new mold - and this is how the Bad Habits name was born. It was the only one that stood the test of time and got the most thumbs-ups in our public feedback collecting phase.
Brand identity
Our team helped Bad Habits create a buzz around their rebrand with a premium and timeless brand identity, featuring a simple yet stylish wordmark combining two existing fonts - a cursive handwritten typeface and a modern serif typeface for the Tattoo & Piercing tagline.
Defining a clear set of rules and guidelines to ensure proper usage of the Bad Habits brand identity is vital for maintaining consistency in developing future brand touchpoints. The guidelines manual we delivered along with the logo suite is built to help the client manage and use their brand identity assets with proficiency.
Brand touchpoints: physical
Physical applications of the Bad Habits brand involve stationery such as business cards, gift cards and discount vouchers, as well as outdoor signage and custom apparel.
Priorly developing brand guidelines has been a tremendous help in maintaining visual consistency across all Bad Habits touchpoints.
Brand touchpoints: digital
About the client
Bad Habits welcome everyone in their studio and pride themselves with providing their clients with the highest quality custom tattoo artwork, while using the best supplies on the market - all vegan.
Each of their artists hold a Bloodborne Pathogens certificate and are trained and certified in BBP/cross contamination procedures to eliminate any health risks.
Timestamp: March 2023
