Socio’s bespoke identity for Aather positions the candle company as a design classic for the home

With fragrances devised by renowned perfumers in London and Grasse, emerging luxury candle company Aather is built on the desire to bring people together. Their candles, with their distinctive scent signatures, are designed to set the scene and be enjoyed in a moment shared with others. Each stage of the brand’s process is made by hand, from pouring and trimming in France to label application and packing.

Working closely with Aather’s founder, London-based design agency Socio created an identity system that not only aims to establish a new niche within the home fragrance market, but also position the brand as a new design classic – befitting of their exceptional handmade products. Stemming from Aather’s key values, the resulting visual language is an elegant reflection of the considered, mindful pace of a slow-burning flame. 

The identity revolves around a geometric arch, inspired by brutalist architectural structures as well as the hearth – the heart of any home. The versatility of the shape, referenced and reimagined throughout the identity, provides a flexible tool for current and future use. 

Featuring prominently within the identity system is a custom sans serif logotype, drawn by Joe Leadbeater, which is intentionally restrained to allow the twin peaks of the double ‘A’ to stand out. “We intended for the brand to have a neutral logotype, and this worked well given the letters do not present a lot of opportunities for customisation,” Designer Brendan Smith tells us. “At larger scales, the detail in the ‘R’ is quite noticeable,” he adds.

Delivering two distinctive tones of voice, and continuing the recurring theme of contrasting warm and coldness, is the pairing of Sociotype’s Gestura Text and Klim’s Untitled Sans. The latter veers towards pragmatism and is used for providing information, while Gestura Text, on the other hand, was chosen for its broad range of styles and soft, refined look. 

Tying the identity together is a rich brand world crafted through idyllic, evocative photography; capturing the distinctive moods of the candles through a series of scenarios that suggest moments of spontaneity and everyday human connection.

Socio

Aather