The story of this brand began in 2002 with an idea inspired more by fun than money: Mrs. Victoria Chivu wanted to find out if her sensational sponge cake could be as big a hit with foodies as it was with her family. The reaction of those with a sweet tooth exceeded all expectations. The cakes were so successful that it became apparent that there were countless lovers of deserts for whom quality was of the utmost importance.

All the goodies that carry the signature of Casa Victoriei are made according to recipes that have been carefully studied and improved over time. The cream is prepared using traditional methods, the pastry is made with butter, the fruit is fresh, and the sponge cake and cheesecake are so rich that they live up to the expectations of even the most demanding cake enthusiasts. In the middle of 2014, when the company turned twelve years old, the owners reached the conclusion that their work needed to be communicated as effectively as possible.

The first step in the branding process was to adjust the name. The restrictive Cofetăria Victoria (which means Victoria Cake Shop) was replaced by the much more accommodating Casa Victoria (Victoria House). This change was important firstly out of practicality: the variety of products offered by our client goes beyond cakes, and includes pastries and ice cream. The second reason for the change is the symbolic weight of the word casă (house). The fact that it is bold enough to include this in its name conveys the ability to draw on the resources of a tradition as well as its involvement with a set of values.

As far as the visual identity is concerned, the brief made two requirements: the principal colour of the brand needed to be a red with lots of personality, and the symbol of the logo had to make use of a crown.

The secondary chromatic palette of Casa Victoria is composed of five pastel colours. In the brand's comunications these are most commonly used in various configurations of circles and squares. In this way not only does the graphic language become more appealing, but by being contrased against five desaturated tints the principal colour stands out better.

This graphic device, which we called the seal of Casa Victoriei has a double role. It simultaneously represents the signature of an artist (cakemaker or patissière) and a guarantee of quality. By a stroke of luck the first letter of the brand, V, is also the first letter of the word văzut ­– the Romanian for seen ­–, a term used for products that have successfully passed quality control. The symbol is first and foremost memorable, and its symmetry, which could be seen as purely mechanical, is successfully conceived in a playful maner.

Casa Victoria's goodies are just as appealing visually as they are delicious. With the aim of using this to the brand's advantage, a photo shoot was organised in which the desserts played the leading role. The cakes and pastries were not taken out of context. They were photographed in configurations that are encountered in everyday life: home-made cookies next to a glass of milk and an apple, a freshly cut slice of cake, generous helpings of cheese pie on a wooden surface etc. With this approach, the photographic style accentuates the sense of authenticity that the materials for this brand needed to convey.

Another photographic style was also used to capture the products: macros. The images in this category offer a lot of detail, and their appetising appeal immediately brings to mind the story of the goodies that are on display.

The website casa-victoria.ro had three main objectives. It was supossed to allow the visitor to see our client's complete range of products, to allow him to place an online order and to grant him access to the vision and the values of the brand.