A Lowcountry Classic Rediscovers Its Signature

For more than 25 years, Hank’s has been a Charleston institution, a classic Lowcountry seafood house with a raw bar and regulars who would notice if anything changed. When Makeready brought Hank’s to Columbus, its first location outside Charleston, the brand needed to travel without losing what made it Hank’s.

The work began in Charleston. Years of redraws had pulled the script logo far from where it started, but the original was still there, fading on a painted sign on the side of the building. The script was restored from that wall, and the identity grew out of it: a hand-drawn illustration library of lobster, crab, oysters, palmetto and the building itself, a palette drawn from the Lowcountry, and a type system sturdy enough for menus, signage and everything in between.

At 6 West Gay Street, the result feels like it has been there for years. In a way, it has.

Responsible for: Brand Research · Logo Restoration · Brand Platform · Brand Identity · Illustration · Brand Guidelines · Menus · Signage · Uniforms · Merchandise