Maison Marou

is a cafe, patisserie, and gourmet chocolate factory in Saigon, Vietnam. Maison Marou is an experimental space where the chocolatiers can tinker and create new kinds of chocolate bars, bon-bons, or pastries from local flavors on a weekly basis. For this reason,

Rice Creative

created a movable type system for the menu. Marou's typeface is applied to chocolate-bar-shaped metal plates which can be arranged and re-arranged for/u00a0menu wall as well as/u00a0overhead signage./u00a0The letter forms are also molded into small rubber pieces which load into custom made stamps for labelling all packaging and printed matter./u00a0

Rice Creative

found in Marou/u2019s own 'Marou-mobile'/u00a0(a 1973 Vietnamese La Da Lat),/u00a0an important symbol, which literally connects the cacao farms to the cafe. The illustrated car, often appears in the space and on packaging, tracing a line that the brand rides, between rugged and sophisticated. Uniforms at Maison Marou are inspired by the linen 'jungle-shirts' that the Marou founders wear out in the field./u00a0A flexible new set of brand elements play across the space. A rough illustration style expresses the rugged side of the brand, while a custom script draws inspiration from classic shop signage. The primary color palette bookends the well known spectrum of Marou's origin-range chocolate bars./u00a0An additional/u00a0green is sampled from the founders iconic 'jungle shirts', while Marou's bright gold is an ever present accent. Finally, the logo itself simply puts a roof over the Marou brand./u00a0Maison Marou requires an ever changing range of packaging. A flexible system was developed to apply across a plethora of shapes and sizes. Fields of color are divided by a horizon line drawn behind the /u2018Marou-mobile./u2019 This horizon line is also traced around the entire perimeter of the space. Beyond packaged goods, the space welcomes the brand to create merchandise. The/u00a0design elements give an unlimited amount of playful possibilities in tandem with straightforward copywriting.