What's in a logo? – hj men deep dive

Joth Davies of Savills Barbers in Sheffield reveals the story behind his brand’s retro logo... Our logo initially started out life on a t-shirt. Back in 2013 we didn’t have a standardised uniform for the Savills team. We were in the process of getting bespoke barber aprons made and while we were waiting, I was keen for us all to wear some kind of uniform so the idea of a branded t-shirt was born. I found our designer on Instagram. I came across a page called @parlor_tattoo_prints [now @the_parlor_workshop] which is run by a designer called Quyen Dinh. Her style really resonated with me and I contacted her asking if she would design our t-shirts. I didn’t brief our designer, as I loved all of her work and trusted her completely. Unknown to me at the time, she ended up using one of my photos from the American Crew Face Off 2012 competition that she found on our social media channel. The model was a customer of ours and the cut is classic Savills.

Our logo is a virtual figurehead for the brand. It resonates with our barbering colleagues and the public.

I feel the logo represents our brand. It is classic but still looks edgy. The fact that a customer has inspired the logo is proof the Savills brand is, and always will be, a customer-led barbershop. The Savills “Barber for Life” logo appears on everything Savills-owned. It’s found on our social media pages and on our shop windows and shop entrance. Quyen also designed the artwork logo for our product brand Copacetic which appears on the side labels, lids and all of our brand’s social media pages [@copaceticgent]. Our logo is a virtual figurehead for the brand. It resonates with our barbering colleagues and the public. When it is copied, as it often is, people message us thinking we will be offended. But I think it is confirmation that we must be doing something right. After all, they do say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery!

How to Create Branding for your Barbershop

Joth shares his words of wisdom 1. Look for a logo that inspires you. The previous Savills logo was simple and plain text. To be honest, I was never happy with it. From the minute the sign went up on the shop I was always looking for something else. 2. Use Instagram to find a designer. Look for someone whose work inspires you and resonates with your brand. 3. Perseverance is key. Our designer initially declined to work with us because of her workload, but 24 hours later I received an email from her saying that she’d been browsing our website and social media and reconsidered because she loved the look and feel of our shop.