Brand strategy
Cultural research
Naming
Visual identity
Mutant branding
Art direction
Communication materials
Retail materials

Client: ¡Padrísimo!
Location: Lajeado, Brazil
Year: 2014 > 2016

Role: Brand strategist and visual identity designer
Team: Mero Design (co-founded studio), in collaboration with business partner

Contributions
• Strategic naming and concept development
• Visual identity system with multiple cultural variations
• Art direction and tone of voice
• Brand guideline creation
• Interior design
• Implementation support and creative direction

¡Padrísimo! is a Mexican-themed restaurant brand designed to break with clichés and deliver a rich, culturally inspired experience. I led the project through my studio, Mero Design, from concept and naming to visual identity and implementation. The branding explores a “mutant identity” model, with flexible graphic versions inspired by Mexican culture: Día de los Muertos, alebrijes, papel picado, and more. The project was launched commercially with full creative oversight from my end.

Main wordmark in its purest form. Strong, typographic, and intentionally open to transformation in different brand moments.

Inside, the atmosphere balances modernity with intimacy. Details like plants, light, and textures evoke presence and cultural layering.

Wall compositions featuring personal photography from my time in Mexico, original paintings, and collected prints.

The space was built using shipping containers and reclaimed wood — a conscious design choice to avoid folkloric clichés. The aprons were developed in collaboration with the brand Sueka, combining artisanal textile work with the restaurant’s visual tone.

Exterior mural painted by hand using the brand’s core color palette. Geometry meets spontaneity in a large-scale welcome gesture.

Local children were invited to plant the herbs used in the restaurant — reconnecting food with land, laughter, and community.

Visuals for Day of the Dead: illustration, color, and texture used with care and respect. The brand plays with traditional forms while avoiding cliché.

Two identity proposals exploring cultural references: one rooted in Mexican revolutionary heritage, the other inspired by pre-Hispanic graphic language.

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