During my time working with A Studio, we were approached by Scotch & Soda to create a new identity and rebrand their company. Scotch & Soda is a Dutch clothing company created in 1985 that celebrates the ‘free spirit of Amsterdam’. For many years Scotch & Soda had been using an icon of a sewing machine as their logo across all of their stores, clothes, labels etc. However the icon and the accompanying wordmark had begun to feel dated. The icon of an old Singer sewing machine felt like it was too generic and fragile to take the brand into the bold new future it was looking for.

Our strategy for the logo was to encourage the brand to focus on the strength and symbology of the ampersand to hero the company’s purpose of radical inclusivity. The design speaks to the company’s craftsmanship and heritage, using a needle threading through fabric to create the ampersand and a hidden “S” within it. This symbol and the new Scotch & Soda wordmark is elegant, crafted and contemporary, whilst maintaining a clear and distinct connection to the company’s heritage. The strength of the logo can be seen as it has been taken across every touchpoint of the brand, from huge storefront signs to miniature embroidery on items of clothing.