Luxury Doesn't Have to be Austere—Mucca's Branding for Tiny Gods Challenges the Status Quo Pushing past luxury’s minimalistic trends, this high-end jewelry identity mixes individualism and elegance

For years, the luxury industry has been marked by a trend toward minimalistic branding, reflecting a clean, classic style that prioritizes stilted refinement at the cost of differentiation. But, empowered by the rise of DTC online retail and an influx of new, disruptive creative voices, the rules of the luxury industry are changing. Recognizing this, branding studio Mucca applied these insights to create the identity for Tiny Gods, with branding that honors the character and stories behind each unique piece of jewelry.

Tiny Gods owner Mary Margaret Beaver is a fine jewelry retailer and concierge, whose deep background in the industry finally led her to open her own store, both online and brick and mortar in North Carolina. But, as Mucca came to realize, her ambitions extended far beyond the reach of a local small business.

“Mary Margaret wanted her store to become the mecca for the most highly and beautifully curated collection of jewelry in the United States,” explains Mucca Founder and Creative Director Matteo Bologna. “She wanted to be known as a true confidant, not far removed from the people buying the pieces she curated. It was clear that she loved personally helping people find unique pieces that speak to them emotionally. She wanted to build a brand that reflected that point of view.”

This challenge led Mucca to engage in a rigorous naming process, choosing a variety of words and phrases that evoked a range of emotions and qualities -- love, passion, fertility, and others. In the end, their team finally decided on Tiny Gods, a name designed to suggest a collection of something small but powerful, mysterious and eternal.

“The name captures not only the spirit of what Mary Margaret was offering, but also how jewelry makes its wearers feel,” adds Mucca Design Director Andrea Brown. “We applied this thinking throughout the entire brand, striking a balance between elegant luxury and something a little more ‘badass’. Her collection is diverse with unusual pieces that are still very extravagant. Everything about the brand needed to be romantic without being sappy, and high-end without being stuffy.”

For the identity design, Mucca drew inspiration from their knowledge of modern luxury and independent brands that they believed weren’t afraid to have a point of view and break some rules. Unlike the typically neutral and minimal logos of high-end brands, the Tiny Gods logo is unconventional and expressive, just like the pieces themselves. Additional design elements have an elegant geometry, suggesting gemstones without being too literal or descriptive. The brand language is poetically descriptive of the moment of discovering the piece that speaks to you, or of opening the box when it's received as a gift. Also, since jewelry is such a personal choice, each piece includes an information card that gives the buyer some background about the materials and the designer, to make it feel more precious and intimate. This attention to detail extended to every brand touchpoint Mucca designed, including the monogram, patterns, colors, typography, copywriting, packaging, an e-commerce website, and even the Tiny Gods instagram account.

“My passion for jewelry continues to deepen as I have the pleasure to experience the powerful effect it can have on my clients,” says Tiny Gods’ Mary Margaret Beaver. “Whether it is a gift and expression of love, to mark a momentous milestone or something to empower its wearer to express their unique style and personality, jewelry is deeply personal and significant. The pieces I curate for this retail venture are wearable works of art to be coveted. Mucca nailed this from the beginning. The name they came up with, Tiny Gods, is profoundly perfect and immediately resonated with existing and new clients alike. Mucca created a feeling that is aspirational and inclusive. The branding appeals to both women and men, a difficult task especially in the jewelry realm. It is sexy yet sophisticated, edgy yet classic and timeless. I could not be prouder of this brand.”

In the end, the work on Tiny Gods proved to be yet another example of finding success by challenging expectations -- a specialty of the Mucca team. “We loved working with this client. We’ve designed for many brands in the luxury space, but Tiny Gods presented a unique opportunity. We enjoyed exploring the nuances of the overall aesthetic, the packaging, and the audience of that world,” says Bologna. “It’s an industry that rewards new approaches and we’re proud to be able to help this brand pinpoint what makes it special and find its voice.”

About Mucca

Mucca is a design and branding studio that combines strategic thinking and seductive design to help each brand find its voice; changing strangers into devotees, and challenges into triumphs. From startups, retailers and beauty powerhouses to various renowned hotels and restaurants, Mucca’s work has bolstered its reputation as one of the industry’s most respected companies.