Capello Cigars

Luxury brand identity and experience for a cigar company.

Overview

Capello Cigars is a premium cigar brand conceived as a contemporary homage to Haiti’s cultural and political history. Osai Creative was commissioned to create the brand from the ground up, including its identity, packaging system, and market positioning. The project sought to establish Capello as a modern luxury brand rooted in historical significance—specifically the Haitian Revolution of 1804—while avoiding the ornamental excess and visual conventions typical of the cigar category.

The premium cigar market is dominated by established brands that rely heavily on inherited visual codes: crests, heraldry, dense ornamentation, and exaggerated expressions of tradition. For a new entrant, these conventions risk immediate visual anonymity. The challenge was to create a brand that felt authoritative and legitimate without mimicking legacy aesthetics, while also honoring a specific cultural history with accuracy and respect.

Osai Creative approached the project by stripping the category back to its essentials. The strategy centered on positioning Capello as a brand defined by provenance and purpose, rather than nostalgia. The Haitian Revolution of 1804 served as a conceptual anchor—not as an illustrative theme, but as a guiding framework influencing tone, hierarchy, and restraint. The brand was designed to feel composed, deliberate, and enduring, reflecting sovereignty rather than spectacle.

The identity system was built around balance and reduction. The logo was designed to feel confident and timeless, avoiding decorative excess while maintaining a sense of authority appropriate to the category. Typography was selected for clarity and longevity, functioning as a structural element across packaging and digital applications. The color palette emphasizes depth and contrast, reinforcing the tactile and material qualities of the product. Every element of the system was designed to scale across touchpoints without reliance on trend-driven visual devices.

Packaging was treated as an extension of the identity rather than a separate expression. Hierarchy, proportion, and negative space were prioritized to allow the product to lead. Material choices and finishes were selected to convey quality and permanence, aligning with the brand’s emphasis on craft and history. References to 1804 are integrated with restraint, ensuring historical significance is present without becoming ornamental.

Marketing assets and the website were designed to maintain the same level of restraint as the physical brand. Content was structured to emphasize narrative and provenance, allowing users to encounter the brand’s story gradually rather than through overt messaging. The digital experience mirrors the packaging system—quiet, focused, and intentional—supporting the perception of Capello as a considered and contemporary luxury brand. The resulting brand positions Capello Cigars as a distinct presence within the premium cigar market: modern in execution, grounded in history, and confident in its restraint. The system is designed to age well, providing a flexible foundation for future growth while maintaining a clear and consistent identity.