Tilly May’s
Creating a modern classic
WHAT WE DID
Brand strategy & development
Brand identity design
Brand messaging & positioning
Brand implementation & activation
Website design
Signage & wayfinding design
THE BRIEF
To craft a brand for a stand-alone cocktail bar set on the top floor of iconic Surry Hills pub, The Trinity Bar. The challenge was to target two segmented audiences for the one venue - Tilly May’s is a premium, contemporary setting, while The Trinity appeals to people who seek the relaxed atmosphere of a quality pub offering.
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THE CHALLENGE
Tilly May’s is a cocktail bar in Sydney’s Surry Hills. The bar was created as part of a redevelopment of Surry Hills institution, The Trinity Bar - it sits on the second floor above the iconic pub. We were engaged by the Calligeros Group to brand both areas of the hotel, the cocktail bar and the pub below.
Tilly May’s brand was to be targeted towards a professional, contemporary, and feminine target market. It needed to feel like it was associated with The Trinty to gain the benefits of the trust and loyalty associated with the iconic pub, but at the same time, it needed to stand alone as its own destination.
OUR APPROACH
We dove back into the history of the venue and its surrounding area to uncover the stories of the women of Surry Hill’s underworld who were powerful forces during the time the venue was founded in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s.
Channeling these strong female characters, we built a brand story for Tilly May’s that positions her as the worldly older sister of Trinity, she fits comfortably within the pub’s history, but she is also youthful, contemporary, and sophisticated.
The vintage-inspired style of the brand identity gives a nod to the rich history and charm of the local area. The illustrative style captures the essence of the strong female characters who shaped the colourful underworld of Surry Hills of yesteryear. It’s elegant yet also a little bit irreverent, boisterous, and cheeky, the kind of place where tunes play, cocktails flow and good times are aplenty.
THE RESULTS
Tilly May’s has cemented herself as one of Sydney’s most popular bars, she received the Best Bar (Asia Pacific) accolade in the 2020 Restaurant & Bar Design Awards. Tilly’s has enabled the venue to triple their cocktail sales, while at the same time not taking from the strong and loyal base of beer drinkers in the pub below.
“The outcome has been sensational, the brand has helped us guide our promotions in a clear direction & target two segmented audiences for our one venue. We have managed to keep true to our locals & being a beer focused venue at Trinity Bar while at the same time tripling our evening cocktail sales up at Tilly May's. The separation of the two brands works so well for us.”
— Anna Calligeros, Director,
Calligeros Hotel Group
