Squisito is a company specialized in selecting and offering premium Italian food, beverage, and lifestyle excellences, representing unique brands in exclusivity.
“Selected flavours, stories & experiences. Made with love in Italy”
The Challenge: Squisito and the Export of Italian Flavor
The primary goal of the project was to structure an effective brand for worldwide sales, with a strategic base in the Netherlands.
The branding and positioning project aimed to define Squisito’s visual and verbal identity, ensuring that Italian authenticity and quality are clearly perceived in international markets.
Concept and Strategic Direction
“A BOTTEGA OF MADE IN ITALY EXCELLENCES”
The “Bottega of Made in Italy Excellences” (Bottega delle Eccellenze Made in Italy) is an evolved concept that fuses the Italian food and wine identity with the prestige of Made in Italy, embracing not only food but also Italian style, culture, and craftsmanship.
The concept of a “Bottega of Excellences” applied to Italian food represents an idea that unifies tradition, quality, and territorial identity. It is much more than a simple store: it is a physical or digital space where the highest-quality Italian food products—often artisanal or with protected designations (DOP, IGP, Slow Food, etc.)—are selected, highlighted, and offered.
Branding and Positioning Strategy
The positioning work focused on translating the values of Italian genuineness and tradition into a universal language.
The Positioning: “Made with love in Italy”
The brand tagline “Made with love in Italy” was defined. This phrase serves as a declaration of love for Italian heritage, its passion, and its food culture.
It represents a genuine seal of guarantee for the products, showcasing the excellence of Made in Italy worldwide.
The Logo and the Cultural Connection Element
The logo was designed to be simple and friendly, communicating immediacy and authenticity.
A key element is the accent on the letter “ū”. This accent was included as a connection point between the Italian and Dutch languages, facilitating the pronunciation and reading of the name in an international context.
To support the company’s growth, we developed a clear Brand Architecture that allows Squisito to operate across different market segments while maintaining a unified core:
The Strategic Goal: This architecture aims to specialize the tone of voice for different targets, maximize cross-selling between the pillars, and de-risk the business model through diversified revenue streams.
Chromatic and Typographic Identity
Squisito Orange: The primary color chosen is Squisito Orange. This iconic warm tone is used as a strong element of differentiation and identity within the competitive landscape.
Typographical Fonts: The brand identity utilizes two balanced, contrasting fonts:
Jost (sans serif), which has a simple, friendly, and versatile character.
The calligraphic font Mrs Saint Delafield, which adds a sense of elegance and tradition, creating a blend of modernity and heritage.
Elements of Visual Identity and Storytelling
The project developed a coherent visual system that supports the brand’s positioning.
Lifestyle Scenario and Photography
Squisito’s “Lifestyle” photographic imagery was defined to capture the essence of authentic life, avoiding filters or over-styling.
The goal was to tell true stories through spontaneous images.
Spontaneous Authenticity: No posed photos, but moments stolen from everyday life (genuine smiles, sincere looks).
Naturalness and Simplicity: Avoiding artifice and elaborate sets, valuing beauty in simple things and daily gestures.
Real People: Subjects are real people, with their uniqueness, prioritizing authenticity over perfection.
Illustrations (Sketch Illustration)
The illustrative style is based on hand drawing and engraving techniques. This is an explicit nod to Italian manual labor and craftsmanship, reflecting the authentic and genuine value of the products.
These illustrations can be used to create coherent storytelling across physical and digital platforms, enhancing the connection with territory and tradition.
Pattern and Recognizability
The vertical stripe pattern was introduced as an element of recognizability and distinctiveness for the Squisito world. Inspired by the world of traditional Italian shops (botteghe), markets, drapery, and maritime textiles, it can be used as a background, as a frame to highlight a product, or as a decorative element in the physical brand identity.
Sticker Label
The label is conceived as a synonym for product guarantee and quality. At the center of the phrase “Made with love in Italy”, three different marks can be alternated: the Squisito logo, the outline “S” of Squisito, or a view of an Italian landscape. This communication element can be used both physically and digitally as a mark of guarantee for a specific product.
