Pentagram Gives a Local Bookstore a Homespun New Identity
The world’s largest independent design consultancy steps in to lend a beloved Hamptons bookseller a hand.
Since joining Pentagram in 1990, designer Michael Bierut has spearheaded brand makeovers for corporate juggernauts from Motorola to Disney. By comparison, his latest client, BookHampton, probably has fewer full-time staff than those Fortune 500 companies have floors in their headquarters.
Yet Pentagram shares a mom-and-pop way of doing business with the East Hampton bookseller that those conglomerates do not. For all its awards, prestige, and offices, the design consultancy, born in London in 1972, one year after BookHampton was founded, is still an independent shop led by 21 partners, including Bierut.
Tapping into that connection, Bierut redesigned the store’s branding in time for its reopening under new ownership this summer. Relaxed fonts, an ocean-blue color scheme, and a simple logo reinforce the store’s reputation as a friendly place to read and discover great literature in the beachside enclave.
BookHampton’s new wordmark is set in serif Didot with Futura as the supporting fonts
The silhouette of an Adirondack chair, seen here on embossed stationery, references the store’s resort town setting.
New merchandise, like totes, is also part of the relaunch.
Apart from updating its graphic identity, BookHampton’s new owner Carolyn Brody called in interior design studio Deborah Berke Partners to redo the East Hampton location.
Photo by Michael Granacki
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