Ruby Wong’s Godown

Firedrake were brought on board to develop a game-changing concept for the MGallery Admiral Hotel in Manila. Our strategic objective was to create a nightlife concept that was at home in ‘Old Manila’, but would attract a new crowd to experience something different from the bars in the newly developed parts of the city. Traffic in Manila is a challenge, so for locals to make the trip to Roxas Boulevard, which could take an hour, we had to do something special, and something that would be exceptional enough to warrant an entire evening out.

The brand identity concept was heavily influenced by the history of maritime tattoos, both locally and globally. These tattoos were cultural passport stamps and became a symbol of adventure, mischief and superstition. We arranged our visual layouts like a sailor’s tattoo sleeve. We do this through the careful placement of illustration, distinctive typography and graphic symbols. Together, these design elements form the highly unique and playfully branded underworld that is Ruby Wong’s. After launch this concept was awarded Transform Awards Asia’s Best F&B Concept and featured in Vogue & Forbes online.