Mercato (2025)
For over 50 years, Mercato had been an Italian grocer offering a solution to the local migrant community, though with their relocation from Campbelltown to North Adelaide in 2025 came a renewed purpose, and we were approached to help communicate this.
We started by stepping back and analysing how Mercato had evolved and define what it was becoming. Quickly it became clear that the business had grown beyond being just a grocer, into an advocate and demonstration of the way that Italians eat, drink and live. We centred the brand strategy and design around the idea of ‘the Italian way’ and made sure that all visual and written elements were proud, direct, joyful and passionate to convey this.
Key to the brand refresh was reimagining and reintroducing the ‘Mercato Man’ brandmark, which was the brand’s defining element throughout the mid 2000’s until their 50th year anniversary in 2022. We modernised the mark for digital use and positioned it as the brand’s main identifier alongside the existing logotype. These elements are paired with a primary typeface inspired by Italian shopfront signage, Mercato’s signature green, brand pillar/category icons, and a witty tone of voice used across print and social material.
Part of Mercato’s move was a larger focus on their dine-in offering. Their wine bar was set to be a slower, intimate experience compared to the bustling retail section, so we introduced a secondary serif typeface and bar icon inspired by vintage Strega and Meletti posters to subtly differentiate the areas. The bar’s verbal identity adopts a slightly warmer tone of voice, experienced by patrons through small messages on packaging and signage that reinforce Mercato’s values and offer moments of joy.
The brand’s simple visual identity is supported by imagery that conveys both its personality and the unique features of its product offerings. We art directed shoots centred on slicing, tearing, spooning, and stacking anything we could get our hands on to immerse audiences in the Mercato experience.
We undertook initial design and development of Mercato’s website in 2023, offering the same, streamlined in-store shopping experience to digital users. Clear category navigation, consistent collection layouts and simple product imagery invite users to learn more about each product or quickly purchase if they’re a regular.
Signage and wayfinding were integral parts of the project due to the venue’s many unique sections and activations. As a central wayfinding element, we designed a sleek directional signpost that acts as central hub, using elements inspired by Italian road signs including bold arrows and the brand’s primary typeface. Each blade is adjustable and able to be redirected or removed if the store layout changes, with the post also having a set of blank blades with a clear, whiteboard surface allowing staff to write on and direct patrons to ad-hoc events and offerings.
The second key signage element of the project involves a set of custom aperitivo-poster inspired artwork completed by Italian illustrator, Andrea De Santis. With the Mercato team, we conceptualised and art-directed 24 illustrations that act as both decorative and wayfinding pieces, highlighting the brand’s various offerings and reinforcing its joyful, witty and loving personality. These illustrations provide colour, depth and movement to the both the brand and the store’s interior, encouraging customers to explore different sections and learn about featured categories through diagrams and visual aids.
Furthering the feel of the brand, we supported Mercato’s interior architects and in-house team with joinery, tiles, benchtops, lighting, curtains, furniture, and dinnerware selections. The aim for the space was to balance the approachability of a traditional market and bar, with the polish of the modern 88 O’Connell St building.
The overall palette is warm and rustic, achieved through dark red marble, walnut timber and brushed gold accents. This forms a base for joyful elements including the Venetian-inspired, custom designed mosaic floor tiles and hanging mirrors over the Fast & Fresh area displaying daily offerings. Visual identity elements are utilised throughout, namely through hanging banners showing the brand’s journey from its first corner store in Rostrevor to the institution it is now in North Adelaide.
Services:
Strategy & Positioning
Tone of Voice
Narrative & Copywriting
Creative Direction
Visual Identity
Art Direction
Website Design
Website Development
Ecommerce
Stationery
Packaging
Apparel & Accessories
Graphic Design
Signage & Wayfinding
Interior Styling
Art Curation
Partners & Credits:
Big Roar: Logotype
TOTLD Design: Animation
Andrea De Santis: Illustrations
Jack Fenby: Photography
UGLY. Creative: Videography
Jianna Caporaso: Interior Styling
DesignThink: Interior Architecture & Design
I&A Projects: Build
Good Sign Co: Signage
Image Sign Group: Signage
Signarama Adelaide CBD: Signage
© Pastime Studio 2026
All Rights Reserved
Mercato (2025)
For over 50 years, Mercato had been an Italian grocer offering a solution to the local migrant community, though with their relocation from Campbelltown to North Adelaide in 2025 came a renewed purpose, and we were approached to help communicate this.
We started by stepping back and analysing how Mercato had evolved and define what it was becoming. Quickly it became clear that the business had grown beyond being just a grocer, into an advocate and demonstration of the way that Italians eat, drink and live. We centred the brand strategy and design around the idea of ‘the Italian way’ and made sure that all visual and written elements were proud, direct, joyful and passionate to convey this.
Key to the brand refresh was reimagining and reintroducing the ‘Mercato Man’ brandmark, which was the brand’s defining element throughout the mid 2000’s until their 50th year anniversary in 2022. We modernised the mark for digital use and positioned it as the brand’s main identifier alongside the existing logotype. These elements are paired with a primary typeface inspired by Italian shopfront signage, Mercato’s signature green, brand pillar/category icons, and a witty tone of voice used across print and social material.
Part of Mercato’s move was a larger focus on their dine-in offering. Their wine bar was set to be a slower, intimate experience compared to the bustling retail section, so we introduced a secondary serif typeface and bar icon inspired by vintage Strega and Meletti posters to subtly differentiate the areas.
The bar’s verbal identity adopts a slightly warmer tone of voice, experienced by patrons through small messages on packaging and signage that reinforce Mercato’s values and offer moments of joy.
The brand’s simple visual identity is supported by imagery that conveys both its personality and the unique features of its product offerings. We art directed shoots centred on slicing, tearing, spooning, and stacking anything we could get our hands on to immerse audiences in the Mercato experience.
We undertook initial design and development of Mercato’s website in 2023, offering the same, streamlined in-store shopping experience to digital users. Clear category navigation, consistent collection layouts and simple product imagery invite users to learn more about each product or quickly purchase if they’re a regular.
Signage and wayfinding were integral parts of the project due to the venue’s many unique sections and activations. As a central wayfinding element, we designed a sleek directional signpost that acts as central hub, using elements inspired by Italian road signs including bold arrows and the brand’s primary typeface. Each blade is adjustable and able to be redirected or removed if the store layout changes, with the post also having a set of blank blades with a clear, whiteboard surface allowing staff to write on and direct patrons to ad-hoc events and offerings.
The second key signage element of the project involves a set of custom aperitivo-poster inspired artwork completed by Italian illustrator, Andrea De Santis. With the Mercato team, we conceptualised and art-directed 24 illustrations that act as both decorative and wayfinding pieces, highlighting the brand’s various offerings and reinforcing its joyful, witty and loving personality.
These illustrations provide colour, depth and movement to the both the brand and the store’s interior, encouraging customers to explore different sections and learn about featured categories through diagrams and visual aids.
Furthering the feel of the brand, we supported Mercato’s interior architects and in-house team with joinery, tiles, benchtops, lighting, curtains, furniture, and dinnerware selections. The aim for the space was to balance the approachability of a traditional market and bar, with the polish of the modern 88 O’Connell St building.
The overall palette is warm and rustic, achieved through dark red marble, walnut timber and brushed gold accents. This forms a base for joyful elements including the Venetian-inspired, custom designed mosaic floor tiles and hanging mirrors over the Fast & Fresh area displaying daily offerings. Visual identity elements are utilised throughout, namely through hanging banners showing the brand’s journey from its first corner store in Rostrevor to the institution it is now in North Adelaide.
Services:
Strategy & Positioning
Tone of Voice
Narrative & Copywriting
Creative Direction
Visual Identity
Art Direction
Website Design
Website Development
Ecommerce
Stationery
Packaging
Apparel & Accessories
Graphic Design
Signage & Wayfinding
Interior Styling
Art Curation
Partners & Credits:
Big Roar: Logotype
TOTLD Design: Animation
Andrea De Santis: Illustrations
Jack Fenby: Photography
UGLY. Creative: Videography
Jianna Caporaso: Interior Styling
DesignThink: Interior Architecture & Design
I&A Projects: Build
Good Sign Co: Signage
Image Sign Group: Signage
Signarama Adelaide CBD: Signage
© Pastime Studio 2026
All Rights Reserved
© Pastime Studio 2026
All Rights Reserved
Pastime is a design studio. We help individuals and organisations across varying industries define who they are, tell their story and connect with their audience through branding, websites and bits in between.
Mercato (2025)
For over 50 years, Mercato had been an Italian grocer offering a solution to the local migrant community, though with their relocation from Campbelltown to North Adelaide in 2025 came a renewed purpose, and we were approached to help communicate this.
We started by stepping back and analysing how Mercato had evolved and define what it was becoming. Quickly it became clear that the business had grown beyond being just a grocer, into an advocate and demonstration of the way that Italians eat, drink and live. We centred the brand strategy and design around the idea of ‘the Italian way’ and made sure that all visual and written elements were proud, direct, joyful and passionate to convey this.
Key to the brand refresh was reimagining and reintroducing the ‘Mercato Man’ brandmark, which was the brand’s defining element throughout the mid 2000’s until their 50th year anniversary in 2022. We modernised the mark for digital use and positioned it as the brand’s main identifier alongside the existing logotype. These elements are paired with a primary typeface inspired by Italian shopfront signage, Mercato’s signature green, brand pillar/category icons, and a witty tone of voice used across print and social material.
Part of Mercato’s move was a larger focus on their dine-in offering. Their wine bar was set to be a slower, intimate experience compared to the bustling retail section, so we introduced a secondary serif typeface and bar icon inspired by vintage Strega and Meletti posters to subtly differentiate the areas. The bar’s verbal identity adopts a slightly warmer tone of voice, experienced by patrons through small messages on packaging and signage that reinforce Mercato’s values and offer moments of joy.
The brand’s simple visual identity is supported by imagery that conveys both its personality and the unique features of its product offerings. We art directed shoots centred on slicing, tearing, spooning, and stacking anything we could get our hands on to immerse audiences in the Mercato experience.
We undertook initial design and development of Mercato’s website in 2023, offering the same, streamlined in-store shopping experience to digital users. Clear category navigation, consistent collection layouts and simple product imagery invite users to learn more about each product or quickly purchase if they’re a regular.
Signage and wayfinding were integral parts of the project due to the venue’s many unique sections and activations. As a central wayfinding element, we designed a sleek directional signpost that acts as central hub, using elements inspired by Italian road signs including bold arrows and the brand’s primary typeface. Each blade is adjustable and able to be redirected or removed if the store layout changes, with the post also having a set of blank blades with a clear, whiteboard surface allowing staff to write on and direct patrons to ad-hoc events and offerings.
The second key signage element of the project involves a set of custom aperitivo-poster inspired artwork completed by Italian illustrator, Andrea De Santis. With the Mercato team, we conceptualised and art-directed 24 illustrations that act as both decorative and wayfinding pieces, highlighting the brand’s various offerings and reinforcing its joyful, witty and loving personality. These illustrations provide colour, depth and movement to the both the brand and the store’s interior, encouraging customers to explore different sections and learn about featured categories through diagrams and visual aids.
Furthering the feel of the brand, we supported Mercato’s interior architects and in-house team with joinery, tiles, benchtops, lighting, curtains, furniture, and dinnerware selections. The aim for the space was to balance the approachability of a traditional market and bar, with the polish of the modern 88 O’Connell St building.
The overall palette is warm and rustic, achieved through dark red marble, walnut timber and brushed gold accents. This forms a base for joyful elements including the Venetian-inspired, custom designed mosaic floor tiles and hanging mirrors over the Fast & Fresh area displaying daily offerings. Visual identity elements are utilised throughout, namely through hanging banners showing the brand’s journey from its first corner store in Rostrevor to the institution it is now in North Adelaide.
Services:
Strategy & Positioning
Tone of Voice
Narrative & Copywriting
Creative Direction
Visual Identity
Art Direction
Website Design
Website Development
Ecommerce
Stationery
Packaging
Apparel & Accessories
Graphic Design
Signage & Wayfinding
Interior Styling
Art Curation
Partners & Credits:
Big Roar: Logotype
TOTLD Design: Animation
Andrea De Santis: Illustrations
Jack Fenby: Photography
UGLY. Creative: Videography
Jianna Caporaso: Interior Styling
DesignThink: Interior Architecture & Design
I&A Projects: Build
Good Sign Co: Signage
Image Sign Group: Signage
Signarama Adelaide CBD: Signage