WILLAMETTE PROVISIONS
Ōkta - Food Born of The Pacific Northwest
We were tasked to distill two-star Michelin chef Matthew Lightner’s unique and ever-adapting creative vision into a brand as simple, meaningful and powerful as the hyper-local farmed-and-foraged courses he creates. We developed a name, ethos, and brand identity to articulate the poetic Pacific Northwest culinary experience. Understanding the food’s connection to the Pacific Northwest laid the groundwork for developing a rich brand experience that would nourish, educate and connect guests to the region.
Opportunity:
Matthew’s new restaurant, ōkta, allowed us to combine our branding and experiential expertise to hypnotize visitors with multi-sensory triggers that would evoke memory, emotion, and an almost palpable sense of this unique, magical place.
Approach:
We dove deep with Matthew, exploring textures and scents, experimenting with light, literary references, studies of human psychology, mythology and linguistics, and macro-trend models to get the story right.
Result:
We created a brand foundation, story, and identity reflected throughout the dining experience that critics compared to Ziggy Stardust landing in the Willamette Valley. Tantalizing palates with culinary magic, ōkta indeed put Chef Lightner’s experimental, hyper-seasonal fine dining on the map as one of the best new restaurants of the year, and is still officially a top farm-to-table stop for visitors to the region
