Paraiso Tropical Latin Market Rebrand

A pandemic-rebrand story…

It’s a challenge to rebrand an established family business that has been around for 30 years in Edmonton. Paraiso Tropical @latinfoodmarket decided to invest their pandemic-times on a brand new look; this was my very first quarantine project, too, which kept me sane during the first few months of the pandemic.

We worked on new brand logo that kept the same feel as the previous one, but at the same time, was more radical than we imagined at the beginning (for the best!). A logo that looks artisanal festive, playful, and inspired by some of the Salvadoran street markets & Indigenous crafts.

Paraiso Tropical’s old character brand was created by one of the owners’ close friends, who was also part of Paraiso’s team from the beginning in the 80s. Through the logo, they wanted to honour the Indigenous women who can be found in the streets & markets of many Latin American countries, carrying the food goods in baskets on their heads to sell.

As designers, we know that for a logo, “the simpler the better.” But for me, it was important to honour the company’s intention, emotional attachment and personal history, so I dared to add a complementary character (with a fresh new style that pays tribute to the central character that Paraiso’s founders, staff and clients have grown to know and love). As a result, they have a rich brand identity to play with and apply to many collateral designs for both Paraiso’s stores – from their store interiors to their product labels, from their delivery van to their marketing materials.