Fresh From The Field: indieProper – By Genre

Genre puts Wellington’s independents on the map with a playful identity for indieProper.

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The brief

indieProper is a celebration of Wellington’s independent retail scene. It brings together the stores that make our city special, uniting over 20 independents.

The initiative runs throughout November, in partnership with WellingtonNZ, and gives shoppers the chance to access unique offers at participating indie stores. Designed to encourage a citywide treasure hunt, indieProper creates the chance to discover and support the independents that make Pōneke distinctive.

To get an indieProper Passport and unlock all the offers, you simply spend $100+ at any of the participating stores. You can then use your Passport to claim exclusive offers at the other stores.

The brief was to create a brand that celebrated independent retail and that felt distinctly Wellingtonian. It needed to capture the creativity and character of the stores, and it had to be distinguishable from slick Black Friday marketing of big box retail.

The design response

indieProper is the brainchild of Hannah Wiles and Nat Woodhall, owners of IRIS and That was Then, This is Now respectively. Their vision was to inspire a citywide treasure hunt that showcased Wellington’s eclectic range of independents.

From there came the line ‘Find Your Independents’, a clear call to action with a playful twist. This foundation gave the brand a direction – one that encourages exploration and celebration. Travel ephemera felt immediately appropriate inspiration, especially as Wellington is a port city. With this, design cues from cartography coupled with the textures of the city gave the brand a distinct aesthetic.

It was early on in the design process that we decided to hero the Passport itself, and establish it as the uniting element of the collective, a covetable item. The Passports themselves would be stamped with the indieProper logo – this provided inspiration for a real and gritty look that spoke of authenticity.

For Hannah and Nat, it was also important that the design was playful and fun. This gave license to explore travel stickers, characterful type and a vibrant palette. The design style also helped distinguish indieProper and to stand defiant against the backdrop of polished Black Friday deals from big box corporates.

The logotype pairs the playful Sunset from Tan Type with ephemera-inspired PP Editorial Old from Pangram Pangram – a conscious contrast to accentuate the meaning of both words. We designed stacked and landscape versions, plus bumper stickers and large logo lock-up stickers, so that the team would have a reliable range of options to keep materials fresh and varied. The symbol, which also forms the stamps for the Passport, is inspired by a compass (to suggest a treasure hunt) and a globe to signal exploration and discovery.

For the campaign application we homed in on Geist. When set solid, in full caps, the monospaced, utilitarian workhorse subtly suggests travel forms and a quiet authority. It feels confident enough to command attention, but carries enough personality to be playful.

The main colour for the brand is a vibrant orange, designed to stand out on busy Wellington streets. This is supported by Sage, Breeze, Parchment, Lemon and Ink to give materials variety. We knew the initial campaign would be primarily print-based, with Phantom Billstickers appearing across the CBD, posters for shop windows and Point of Sale displays at checkouts. This is where the punchy orange really unifies indieProper across touch-points.

Overall, the design is a celebration of Wellington’s finest independents. It is a brand that recognises the iconic retailers and the institutions they’ve become. Like the city, the stores, and the owners themselves – indieProper has it’s own character.