TÍO RAFA
A nostalgic brand, reimagined with playful experimentation.
Brand Strategy & Positioning | Creative Direction & Design
Challenge
Tío Rafa doesn’t belong to a specific product—it’s an idea, a feeling, a memory. This was an exercise in branding without boundaries—creating a fresh identity that feels nostalgic, local, and timeless, even without knowing what it represents.
How do you build a brand without a product?
How can design alone evoke history, warmth, and familiarity?
How can experimentation lead to unexpected, yet meaningful branding?
Solution
🔹 A Visual Identity That Feels Like a Stamp of Time
The postage stamp silhouette gives the brand an instant sense of tradition and permanence.
The deep forest green background evokes classic packaging, vintage signage, and trustworthy heritage brands.
The warm, flowing script typography feels personal, familiar—like the signature of someone you trust.
🔹 Typography & Color Balance: Past Meets Present
The contrast between the elegant script “Rafa” and the structured sans-serif type creates a bridge between past and future.
The burnt orange typography feels both bold and nostalgic, reinforcing the timeless essence of the brand.
🔹 The Power of Play: Designing Without Constraints
Tío Rafa is an exploration of branding for branding’s sake—proof that great design doesn’t need a defined product to carry meaning.
This exercise reflects a love for visual storytelling, for bringing personality to an unknown brand, and for letting creativity shape the message.
Impact
✔ A fully formed brand identity—without a product. The design feels as though it has existed for decades, ready to be placed on packaging, storefronts, or merchandise.
✔ A reminder that branding is more than a logo—it’s a feeling.
✔ Proof that play and experimentation fuel creativity.
✔ A reminder that branding is more than a logo—it’s a feeling.
✔ Proof that play and experimentation fuel creativity.
Final Thought
"Sometimes, branding isn’t about what you sell—it’s about what you make people remember."
Tío Rafa is a testament to design as storytelling, nostalgia as a brand strategy, and creativity as an open-ended journey.
