the gas project

Best Ugly is a bagel factory and cafe in central Auckland. Gas worked with Chef Al Brown to develop the identity, print, signage and web materials to promote and package the best (and hand-rolled – hence ugly) bagels around. Serve toasted.

A work in progress for the guys at Two Fish Cafe in Waipu. Thanks to the talented Lisa Moes for the nice line work.

We live in a sort of dairy paradise (unless you look at our rivers, but that’s a whole ‘nother story), so why has it taken so long to get good butter here? Its like buses. You wait for ages, and then all of a sudden, along come two. Well this one has well been worth waiting for. Al Brown and Whitestone Cheese teamed up some time ago to produce the freshest, tastiest and yellowist butter a toast-loving kiwi could wish for. Yep, it even tastes good on that dreadful gluten-free stuff. Gas were lucky to join early prototype-tasting sessions and for the last two weeks have been rediscovering what bread should taste like. Oh yeah, and we also designed the packaging. Tip-o-the-hat to Andy Warhol for some Pop Art-style inspiration. Available in three ‘flavours’ from selected supermarkets, Farrow Fresh in Auckland and Best Ugly bagels (more about that later), its yellow goodness. Go to the spreadthelove site to learn more.

For the last three years we’ve been doing T-shirts for Mount Riley Wines to celebrate the end of vintage. This year we once again teamed up with illustrator Blair Sayer and knocked another one off. Just in time for the 60th anniversary of another climbers remarkable effort.

In 2012 Al brown published his 3rd solo book, Get Fresh. Based on the TV show of the same name, the book enabled Al to go deeper on each region and provider. With profiles on a number of talented growers and suppliers, the book also carries 3 recipes per region and also comes with a CD of music by up-and-coming New Zealand artists. Gas worked with Al from day one on the design and relished another opportunity to work with images from the talented Peter Young from Fisheye Films and Kieran Scott from, well, Kieran Scott. Get it while it’s fresh.

In 2012 a group of friends bought an 100 year old pub in Matakana, not a job for the faint-hearted. Never one to turn down a brew, Gas worked with the new owners on brand, signage, menus and website, referencing old photographs from the area as well as ‘dandys’ – Victorian images of people with animal heads. A toolbox of logos makes sure everything at the Matakana Village Pub stays as fresh as the snapper on offer. 

Random thought: if Matakana is a little too far for you, and you’re interested in home brewing, then have a look at https://52brews.com/how-to-make-a-kegerator They seem like nice chaps.

Al Brown is an astoundingly creative and busy guy, and quite often we’re running trying to keep pace. We did manage to find some space to work on some new t shirt designs though, in time for the great New Zealand summer. Available from Al’s website.

A big thanks to Charlie Nott for the drawings, David, Dan, Prue and Jo (owners) and the chippies and staff who helped make good food and coffee in Napier a reality. See the feature on Mister D Dining in the latest Cuisine magazine, or better still, go visit them and try the donuts. Heck, try everything.

Cuba St in Wellington should rate up there with the Champs-Elysees, Fifth Avenue and Oxford St in terms of cool-factor. Ok, so the high-end shopping isn’t there, but the eats certainly are. And now, joining the likes of Floriditas, Logan Brown and the Matterhorn is new joint, El Matador. We’d walk across hot coals to get to their steaks cooked over an open fire, Argentinian-style.

Identity by Gas, powered by Mendoza Malbec.

We also love coffee at Gas. Next to two-stroke for the office scooter and something with a little more body for the guzzi, coffee is our fuel of choice. So we were more than happy to work with the New Zealand Specialty Coffee Association on a new identity.