The brief
Brand story | UX | Copy Strategy
Case Studies | Copywriting
Barfly was founded to connect boardrooms with the living, breathing, bustle of the world's bars, pubs and restaurants. To capture the reality of bartender's knowledge and experience, share with drinks decision-makers and shape drinks culture.
In ten years, Barfly had grown from two UK-based founders to a global team, growing P&L, and about to return to office space in Soho, London. They were successful. But clients and leads didn't know the Barfly's scope or reach. Barfly's suite of services and capabilities were hidden behind a densely-worded, dark, website. This was leaving money on the table.
At a time of management and ownership change, it was time to ask: who is Barfly, what do we do, and why do we exist?
Connecting the dots
Barfly isn't about "the street". Barfly cares about people. It's people's reactions. It's the videos that Barfly create, capturing the nuance of people's reactions. It's their thrill in connecting the dots between a new question and their deep domain expertise.
I articulated this rhythm, vitality, and reason into a succinct, evocative, brand story. I researched and spoke with their client base, proposing and leading on what they needed to communicate, and how.
Evoking senses
Drinks are sensory, and Barfly know this: I wanted to bring the benefits of their work to life, so their bigger, wider audience could understand how they were different.
One of their most exciting and beneficial services is filmed ethnography, where local drinks experts give their unfiltered opinions on the product.
Simple words, evoking the brilliance of Barfly and their ability to deliver unqiue insights to the world's leading drinks brands.
Results
x2
Within four months of launching the new brand, Barfly had two huge, global clients, who both attributed their confidence in Barfly to the brand I created.
One client knew their work, and didn't think that Barfly could help - until they saw the new identity. The new brand gave this global FMCG leader the confidence that Barfly could deliver the insights needed for one of the world's largest drinks brands.
The review
Working with Ann was a game-changer for Barfly.
She helped us refine our core message and translated this into a compelling and inspiring narrative that truly reflects who we are and who we want to be as we grow up.
Ann took what we knew about our agency and transformed it into a story that is approachable, contemporary, and highly relevant.
We were particularly impressed by how Ann managed to shed the big, corporate jargon and replace it with language that resonates with our audience. Her creativity and insight were instrumental in making our message clear and engaging. It is almost as if Ann spread fairy-dust, retelling us what we told her but in a much better and more engaging way.
Ann's personality and energy were a breath of fresh air throughout the project. Her enthusiasm was contagious, and she brought a level of dedication and passion that exceeded our expectations.
We loved having Ann on board, and we are thrilled with the results of her work.
Thank you, Ann!
Lizzie Carr, Managing Director
Barfly
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