Lover’s branding for Flukes games hall is “no bread, no butter, only pudding”

Lovers, the East London based design studio, has a “no bread, no butter, only pudding” design ethos – in other words, they have a sweet tooth and know that audiences do too. It’s newest work is with Flukes, a games hall situated at The Big Penny Social in Walthamstow, London – a place where anyone can bookend long days at work or create foundational moments with friends and family. Lovers hardly needed to lay down new turf to tackle this client. “The idea behind Lovers is that if a person and team can be excited about what they’re working on, way more interesting stuff is possible,” says Alex Ostrowski, creative director at Lovers. “Our whole model is about getting tails wagging, first in who we bring into which projects, and ultimately in the emotional impact we can have with an audience.”

In practice, Lovers avoid “business as usual”, where no freshness or new thinking is called for – and it shows. In their design work for Flukes, the team goes all out – one-upping the usual photographs that would be taken of a games hall, Lovers opt for cinemagraphs that capture the motion of fun. Posters have been created for the walls of Flukes’ chic 20th century social club vibes, reading ‘being a loser is an art form’, ‘I’m a solid 8 in Flukes’ and ‘think I left a shoe at Flukes’.

Lovers centralise entertainment and personal enjoyment, even if that means losing a game or getting a little too drunk. Unlike “zany crazy gold chains or corporate axe throwing”, Flukes breathes old fashioned, haphazard good-times, soundtracked with the clatter of pool balls and clinking of glasses. “Independent places like Flukes are loved because they have their own aura, myth and legend,” says Alex .“This is also a place you’re supposed to bring your own gang to, whether that’s mates, work mates, double dates… so the idea of even going has to feel full of promise and fun, beyond just the gameplay.”

The brand identity is partly inspired by nostalgic ephemera and local imagery discovered in the Waltham Forest archives by Lovers and the Big Penny Social, tapping into a “rich reservoir of social history” and Walthamstow leisure. “It was important to us to tune into Walthamstow’s unique past and signature,” says Michael-George Hemus, founder of Big Penny Social and Flukes. “We see ourselves as a continuation of that today, so the Waltham Forest archives felt like a good, natural starting point.” A lot of these good-vibes extend over to the new website too, which sports friendly, retro colours and a design that feels almost like a flyer in of itself; ultra-readable and eye catching.

Every touch point is considered by Lovers, from the artwork to the engravings on what appear to be collected trophies on display – little easter eggs that create a complete, riotous world inside of the premises. The venue was designed by interior and architectural designers Hunter’s Daughter, whilst the finishing brand touches were designed by Lovers’ own set design crew in collaboration with Flukes, whose previous work included creating sets for immerse theatre groups. Flukes is a place for “mild chaos”, mirrored by the transportive and layered spaces created by the design team.