Project
Emporium Melbourne
Brand identity
Campaign
Emporium Melbourne, known for its flagship retail experience and architectural presence, saw a decline in engagement following COVID-19 as shifts in consumer behaviour reshaped the role of physical retail. To remain relevant, it needed to move beyond being a shopping destination and re-establish itself as a cultural and social hub within the city. The challenge was to redefine its position in a changing urban landscape while reconnecting with a local, experience-driven audience.
The House of Melbourne
The brand was repositioned as “The House of Melbourne” – a reflection of the city’s culture, diversity, and energy. Rather than focusing purely on retail, the identity reframes Emporium as a destination shaped by its people, history, and experiences. At the core of the system is the ‘E’ motif, evolved from a secondary logo element into a bold and flexible asset that anchors communications – mirroring the building’s physical presence within the city. The visual language is built on contrast and energy, creating a brand that feels alive, local and embedded in Melbourne’s identity with:
High-impact, expressive photography capturing Melbourne’s diverse personalities
Bold scale and composition using the ‘E’ as a framing device
A dynamic system that feels layered and culturally connected
To really hit home that a community focussed brand needs to show up as community forward, we worked with Crowd DNA/Socialise to capture the intertwined stories of three Melbourne born/based trailblazers through a series of high energy ‘day in the life’ films and accompanying library of effervescent photography. With no direct ties to specific brands, and using the image and voices of real, influential Melburnians rather than the supermodels they’ve used in the past, they now have a genuine perspective that is beyond their own internal view. One that celebrates the place they call home. Melbourne.
Campaign video — A story of style, culture and community. Featuring Karinda Mutabazi (style), James Parr (community) and Briony Wright (culture).
Details
Project
My Role
I contributed to the conceptual development of the identity and played a key role in evolving the visual direction. I defined the photography art direction and visual language, ensuring it aligned with the new positioning, and helped develop a robust toolkit including brand guidelines and templates to support rollout.
Studio
SomeOne Sydney
Creative Team
Creative Direction — Tom Dabner
Client Services — Rebecca Bosustow
Design — Michelle Jin (Brand lead), Julien Bertouille (Campaign lead), Tom Dabner, Krystle Chong
Copywriting — Tom Dabner
Research & Campaign Production — Crowd DNA