Bucky’s Varsity Meats
The UW-Madison has one of the best meat science programs in the world. The department was getting a new state-of-the-art facility to match their international reputation, anchored by a retail butcher shop where students sell top-quality meats directly to the public. The Meat Science team and their architect, Potter Lawson, came to Swink to help bring the new butcher shop to life.
- Brand Strategy
- Visual Identity
- Environmental
- Packaging
Case study
The butcher shop, Bucky’s Varsity Meats, was conceived as a way to introduce consumers to the “who” and “why” behind the Meat Science department. Part outreach, Part celebration of their best-in-class education, Bucky’s Varsity Meats invites the community to meet the people behind the meat, in one of the world’s most advanced butcher shops.
The Logotype
The more the project matured, the more the campus wanted to tie the retail store to the campus. The customized script is a pennant for the store, waving its UW roots. While playfully collegiate, the logo also tips its hat to the generations of craft and tradition behind hand-painted butcher shop signs.
The brand loves meat. The design language is intentionally cheeky and fun, taking the world of the UW and stuffing it full of oversize, ridiculously good meat.
Environmental Graphics
Working with Potter Lawson, we brought the design language into the store, with plenty of butcher block, slate, ceramic tile, dimensional logos, a classic blade sign, and hand-painted graphics by local artist Ray Mawst.
Meaty Sundries
We carried the design language into the details, from shopping bags to t‑shirts, butcher paper, and point of sale.
