Services Delivered: Creative direction and visual identity, graphic assets, photography
Background & Challenge
Phool Gully (“Flower Street” or “Flower Market” in Hindi) is a contemporary flowers and gifting brand that celebrates the heritage of Indian flowers and street markets through a contemporary lens. Its name is inspired by Dadar’s “Phool Gully”, an iconic hub in Mumbai known for its vibrant blooms, rich fragrances, and bustling energy—a symbol of India’s cultural and floral traditions.
The challenge was to introduce the beauty and essence of Indian flowers and markets to a discerning global audience seeking premium gifting experiences. With limited familiarity or context about India’s markets and the cultural significance of its flowers, the task was to translate the vibrancy, diversity, and depth of Dadar’s flower market into a sincere, culturally-rooted and contemporary brand that speaks to a global audience.
The Audience
Phool Gully is for urban, aspirational individuals in Toronto seeking thoughtful and elegant gifting options that reflect Indian culture. It appeals to those who value meaningful connections and appreciate gifts rooted in tradition, presented with a contemporary touch.
For Indian expats, Phool Gully offers a nostalgic link to home, evoking the charm and vibrancy of India’s iconic flower markets. For those unfamiliar with Indian street culture, it provides a modern and sophisticated way to experience the vibrancy of India’s markets and its streets.
Whether celebrating heritage or discovering it for the first time, Phool Gully speaks to those who treasure the richness of Indian traditions, thoughtfully reimagined for today’s global audience.
“Phool Gully” needed to capture the cultural richness and colourful chaos unique to Indian streets while making it accessible and desirable to an urban audience seeking a refined, contemporary experience.
The Process: Word-mark & Typography
The word-mark, फूल Gully, blends Hindi and English to reflect its ethos of bringing India’s local spirit to a global, contemporary audience. The word ‘Phool’ is written in Devanagari script (“फूल”), grounding the brand in its cultural and linguistic heritage, while the English word ‘Gully’ completes the name in a modern, global context. This intentional pairing celebrates the intersection of tradition and modernity, making the brand accessible to diverse audiences while staying true to its Indian roots.
The text on the left proudly marks the brand’s establishment, while the text to the right, ‘400028’, represents the PIN code for Dadar, the heart of Mumbai’s iconic flower market and the inspiration behind Phool Gully.
The Insight & the Process: A Family of Illustrations*
Our audience spans those deeply connected to Indian culture and those discovering it for the first time. For some, the illustrations evoke nostalgia, transporting them back to the vibrant flower markets of home. For others, they serve as an entry point into the beauty of Indian flowers and the charm of its streets.
We crafted a visual family of watercolour illustrations* to capture the vibrancy, texture, and diversity of Dadar’s iconic flower market. Each illustration highlights an individual flower’s unique color, form, and texture, making it visually memorable. The watercolour technique reflects the artisanal essence of the market, letting the flowers’ rich hues take center stage.
This family of flowers turns the packaging into a collectible of its own kind, with each design showcasing a different bloom and its name in both Hindi and English. It’s a celebration of Indian heritage, presented in a way that feels unique, modern, and globally appealing.
*Illustrations generated via Ideogram’s Generative AI
