21 CAHAN & ASSOCIATES
Slide is a new speakeasy-themed lounge below the famed Cable Car Theater in San Francisco, the very location of legendary Prohibition-era speakeasy Dan’s Café. “The venue, already steeped in history, was the departure point for the hype booklet,” says its designer Todd Richards. “We drew from the visuals of the era as well as Prohibition slang to set the tone.”

The copy sprinkled throughout the alluring little black book is purposefully cryptic, meant to enhance the intrigue around the lounge’s opening in summer 2006. “The logo, banished to the inside back cover, was a nod to the age of passwords and secrecy,” says Richards. The club is literally underground. “The branding references this aspect by placing scenes from the city above, and the logo and text always at the bottom of the design,” says Erik Adams of his shadowy business card, “reinforcing the idea of above and beneath the surface.” His logo appears black on black in small type, “almost as a whisper,” he says. Clients are often attracted to the brightest colors or the largest type. In this case, small type and the nearly concealed logo, like a black dress against black velvet, make a profoundly effective beckoning statement. by Romy Ashby

Cahan & Associates
CREATIVE DIRECTOR: Bill Cahan
ART DIRECTORS, DESIGNERS: Todd Richards (booklet), Erik Adams (logo & business card)
PHOTOGRAPHER: Robin Jean Anderson (logo & business card)
CONTACT: www.cahanassociates.com