When everyone else claims premium materials, luxury finishes and central positioning, how do you differentiate yourself in the residential offer landscape of Romania’s fastest growing city?

This was the challenge inner*pride undertook when tasked with defining not just a brand but a living experience for Iasi’s most ambitious residential project, developed by Romania's largest developer of mixed-use projects - Iulius Group.

Inner*pride vouched for the name TATAMI - referencing a traditional Japanese rug design representing a staple of premium minimalism. TATAMI encapsulates comfort and connects with the brand personality of “Elegant Simplicity”.

The brand identity centers on a geometric motif, redrawn from one of the original tatami elements in the Japanese tradition to encapsulate the uppercase T. Elegant and sober, the icon reflects the building’s impeccable craftsmanship and detailing. The wordmark is set to complement the symbol taking small design cues from t. The identity’s key color is a rich, modern beige that complements the building’s façade and evokes the traditional construction materials such as marble, wood or bamboo.

We translated the visual language of the brand into architectural cues that were then used everywhere from the façade through the brochures.

As this area of the city rarely sees new developments, the strategy was to establish a design aesthetic that would transform the building into a landmark capable of setting a new trend for future developments.

The identity and marketing for the project were designed to support this image of understated elegance and help the sales team in their effort to equate the price with the real benefits the client receives upon purchase.

After an outstanding response, TATAMI is set to expand with a second development in Bucharest.