Airavata Vapors is a retail vape shop located in Mount Pleasant, SC. The design of the logo, collateral, and retail space was based on inspiration from the Hindu culture and a story about “Airavata”- the mythological white elephant that carries the Hindu god Indra. It is also called ‘abhra-Matanga’, meaning “elephant of the clouds”; ‘Naga-malla’, meaning “the fighting elephant”; and ‘Arkasodara’, meaning “brother of the sun”. Airavata is shown in some paintings as having ten tusks and five trunks and is spotless white. The different names and meanings of the elephant lent nicely to the concept of this retail business and became the sole inspiration for identity design. The elephant logo was first-hand sketched and then digitally remastered. A mandala symbol was incorporated to emphasize the cultural inspiration further. The type-based logo was created using a simple and clean font to contrast with the elaborate mascot. Lower case letters were used to reflect the horizontal characteristics of Indian letters. Traditional Hindu color schemes were considered in this design and eventually lead to the decision to use shades of plum and gold/copper as the main colors.
