TWO DECADES AGO Innervision, a Philadelphia optometric practice and eyewear boutique, developed a timeless logo in an eye-catching white, blue and black color scheme that has continued to serve as the cornerstone of the business’s strong, stylish branding as it expanded to three attractive locations in the city. “It was a great investment,” says owner Cliff Balter.
The look was designed to be “clean, organized, sophisticated and approachable,” he says, and it was arrived at intentionally. “We are mostly a boutique selling independent frame brands. A lot of times, shops like ours will carry collections that are way out there — frames that most people wouldn’t wear. We are focused on easy to wear, yet very high quality. So I think the clean, organized, but sophisticated feeling that our branding gives lines up well with the products we sell,” he says.
The branding and color scheme can be found on Innervision’s exterior signage and windows, as well as in the office color scheme, and on business cards, cleaning cloths, cases, spray bottles, the website and, to a lesser extent, its social media. “We sometimes use a blue bubble kind of coming out of a corner somewhere,” says Balter.
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The inspiration for the branding was simple. “I personally like things to be clean, organized and sophisticated, so I feel good that my brand is similar to my own sensibilities,” he says, adding that a freelance designer has been working with the company for many years now to ensure a consistent feel.
Balter has a clear, strong message to other eyecare businesses on the topic of branding and the importance of giving yourself a visual edge. Start by showing that you care, he implores — it’s about a lot more than just looks. “Give a crap about your image or it will just look like crap. Warby Parker exists mostly because there’s too many of us that don’t care enough about image.”
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