Responses by Nicole Locken, art director/designer, Nicole Locken Creative

Background: Built during the Silver Boom in 1891, Silver City is a saloon and eatery located in the iconic Elks Building in the heart of Aspen, Colorado. With its Western flair and vintage imagery, the saloon pays homage to Aspen’s historic Western roots. Silver City reached out to us to create a campaign that would bring awareness to this newly-opened mountain saloon and increase the customer base of Aspen locals and vacationers alike. Jay Roth was the copywriter for this project.

Reasoning: Given Silver City’s historic roots and ties to the Silver Boom, as well as its extensive bourbon selection, we created a social campaign using old-timey vernacular paired with intricately designed fonts and ornate silver detailing. Inspired by the elaborate designs of vintage whiskey labels, we used typography as the primary design element, customizing each print ad to be its own label.

Challenges: Infusing the ornate silver details with the headline and typography to create a seamless design.

Favorite details: How this campaign blends the historic with the modern in a playful and visually enticing manner, strategically tying each element back to the saloon’s history. The intricate silver details serve to reinforce the name, and the ornate typography pays homage to Silver City’s historic western roots.

Visual influences: In today’s world of social media, the goal was to create a campaign that draws viewers in and invites them to spend time with the artwork. We were inspired by the beautiful, elaborate designs of vintage whiskey labels and how the intricacies and the unexpected detail demand a second look.

Anything new: Our knowledge of bourbon grew extensively throughout the campaign’s development.

nicolelockencreative.com