ABOUT
The speakeasy—spiritual home of the cocktail. But while the cocktail scene is more vibrant than ever, speakeasys have never felt more tired. That’s because the speakeasys of today are far too keen to spill their secrets. No conceal, all reveal. Their signature intrigue is gone and there’s nothing left to discover.
Despite topping the World's 50 Best Bars list, Please Don’t Tell—more intimately known as PDT—must still be discovered. It’s never given up its intrigue. Frankly the best cocktail bar you’ve never heard of is hidden in plain sight at 113 St. Mark’s Place. Securing a seat at the bar is a journey with an unlikely starting point: iconic NY hotdog spot, Crif Dogs. Next up is stepping through a vintage rotary phone booth. Before finally crossing into the rich oak and leather world of PDT.
Every step intriguing, every moment one for discovery. But this experience was not coming through in PDT’s visual identity.
The new PDT identity is inspired by vintage speakeasy calling cards that perfectly balance what they conceal with what they reveal. From reimagining the logo as a rare two-headed ouroboros, masterfully redrawn by legendary logo designer Gerry Barney, to the maze-like monogram and black on black detailing throughout, the entire experience is imbued with intriguing moments of discovery.
We created 100 coins with PDT’s monogram logo, passed in secrecy between bartenders and concierges, patrons and cocktail connoisseurs, giving access with a special number through the iconic phone booth in Crif Dogs to the secretive, opulent bar experience of PDT within. Inspired by calling cards, our coins are they key - perfectly balancing what they conceal with what they reveal.
The brand experience is now a distillation of the bar experience - bringing the same devotion to craft and attention to detail that goes into every PDT cocktail.
Jeff Bell (PDT owner and operator) said “At PDT we take as much care and attention over the experience as we do the creation of drinks. We want the entire visit to be thoughtful, with all details being considered. This means the glassware we select is unique and specific to our drinks program and when we offer items to go. For our cocktails to go programming, we enlisted a top design firm to develop the brand and packaging for us so the vessel would truly reflect the quality of the drink inside.”
MADEIT CREDITS
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PDTClient
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Gerry BarneyIllustration -
Jacklyn MunckSenior Designer -
Marlee BruningDesign Director -
Michelle KimDesigner -
Nina Marie GirodVisualization -
Design Bridge and Partners -
Rob Clarke Design LtdTypography -
Mike PerryCreative Director -
Shang WuSenior Client Manager -
Katie HaslerSenior Designer -
Gregor JohnstoneDesign Director
Design Bridge and Partners has been a Contributor since 25th November 2015.