How does a gastromarketing agency move toward holistic experience design? Eszter Csontos, the art director of Socially, told us about projects in which, in addition to the marketing strategy and the graphic visual identity, the interiors of the restaurants were also born based on their own ideas. In our article, we also present the details of their latest and one of the most exciting commissions, the concept of the DaRose restaurant in Vienna, named after the football star David Alaba.
In the work of Socially, the marketing approach is paired with high aesthetic quality and a comprehensive design attitude, which customers start discovering more and more. They are no longer entrusted with the phases of brand image design, but also with the creation of complete atmospheres, where they envision spaces in collaboration with interior designers. Madame Pho, already presented in an earlier article, was the turning point, their work based on a first full-fledged concept. They were originally commissioned to make a wall graphic, but their ideas went far beyond that: they wanted to convey complex feelings and moods based on their travels in Vietnam.
“The feeling when you visit a place will be complete if every impression that affects you in the space evokes the same effect from you. We believe that every detail can move in one direction if the design processes run together in one hand. That is why we especially like to be involved in concept creation at the beginning. We are looking for typographic and graphic solutions that will then be reflected in space. Our goal is to create independent, authentic worlds that break us out of reality,” said Eszter Csontos.
For each project, it is important for them to have an instinctive attitude towards the topic, which is embossed with subtle associations. They do not have established templates, each concept is preceded by thorough and varied research to achieve the most authentic and lovable result possible. This is how the hummusbar and the brand identity and the interior concept of Hotel Noble were born. The imposing boutique hotel opened in the iconic building of the former Dreher Palace, and during the design process, they translated attributes typical of the Industrial Revolution era into today’s design language. However, according to Bianka Steiner, a PR specialist at Socially, the latest project, the DaRose restaurant in Vienna, has put the icing on the cake about holistic experience design.
The owners of DaRose, who also named the place, David Alaba, a footballer, who recently signed a contract to join Real Madrid, and his singer sister, Rose May Alaba, have opened a restaurant in a newly built district of Vienna, the Austria Campus. The menu was developed by chef András Sebestyén, co-owner of the restaurant, and the Socially team was responsible for the whole visual identity and interior design with the help of interior designer András Ernst. They wanted to create a lively space in the sterile neighborhood that would enrich visitors with stimuli radically different from their surroundings. Part of the assignment was to visually display the gastronomic innovations of the fusion kitchen, the Alaba siblings and the city of Vienna in the interior. “The idea was that everything that András brought to the kitchen, that is, the world of special fusions and textures, would appear in the brand identity in a more abstract way. I am thinking here, for example, of wine spraying or of the colors and surfaces that you associate with this diverse kitchen. In the end, I solved all this by making montages that come back on the walls and on the menus,” Eszter told us.
The sculptural depiction of the raw materials, the black-and-white portraits of the Alaba siblings, and the baroque sculptures of Vienna form a harmonious unity in the interior. Eszter combined the elements of the montage with bohemian brush strokes, and the pictures on the walls were made on a concrete-effect base for a more accentuated overall picture. Fine harmonies can also be seen in action: the circular cutouts of the menus were inspired, for example, by lamps. However, the most impressive elements of the space are clearly the photos of David and Rose facing each other, which has become their big favorite too. From the first moment, the work with the owners went smoothly, the ideas of the Hungarian team were quickly accepted.
“I am incredibly proud to have been able to leave a mark in this inspiring city and there is a place that reflects our vision,” Eszter concluded.
Photos: Kata Balogh