Tu Herrero de Caramelo by El Paso, Galería de Comunicación

Have you ever felt that spark of inspiration, that ember of an idea that burns within you until it becomes a passion? That feeling drives the team at El Paso, Galería de Comunicación, a Graphis Master Madrid-based design studio. And when they met Iván Domene, a young and talented blacksmith with a passion for crafting knives, swords, and other steel weapons, they knew they had found a kindred spirit. Together, they set out to create “Tu Herrero de Caramelo,” a brand that combines the ancient art of blacksmithing with a fresh and more youthful perspective. In this post, we’ll take a closer look at the process behind this Graphis Design 2024 entry, from the brand story and values to creating the iconic Caramel Helmet logo. Join us as we explore the world of Tu Herrero de Caramelo and the people behind it.

By: Álvaro Pérez

“Each project that comes to El Paso, Galería de Comunicación (Madrid, Spain) is unique, and as such, we give it all our experience and passion. However, sometimes some projects become something more. They touch our hearts for what they are, what they represent, and the people behind them. They are projects that connect with our own passions, like creativity, a maverick soul, the excitement of paths yet to be explored, or the magic of shaping red-hot steel with hammer and muscle.

“Tu Herrero de Caramelo is one of those projects. When Iván Domene contacted us, we saw a spark in his eyes, an ember that burned when he told us what he wanted to do and that had gotten slightly cooler because of the uncertainties in all entrepreneurship. Lighting it up again was our challenge.

“Iván is a young and passionate craftsman with a lot of talent. But behind his youthful face hides a master blacksmith who has learned to master steel with fire, hammer, anvil, knowledge, and hope. Behind the face also hides a dreamer who imagines knives, swords, breastplates, and helmets that no one has dared to dream of. And he is also an entrepreneur with a vision: he is able to transfer the solid, material world of the forge to the virtual, intangible environment of social networks, to start a fresh and informative project focused on a younger audience that wants different, interesting, daring, and fun content.

“To start any project, we first need to understand it. Iván explained the reason behind the name Tu Herrero de Caramelo, which translates into something like ‘Your Candy Blacksmith’—’Red-hot metal is similar to melted caramel. It is moldable and hypnotic and invites you to shape it to discover something new that we can only touch when it cools down and solidifies. In addition, the name moves you away from the traditional stereotypes of the forging world and gives us a fresh, youthful, carefree, and intimate feeling.'”

“Before designing his logo, we had to create his brand. Through several meetings with Iván Domene, Curra Medina, and Álvaro Pérez—the team from El Paso, Galería de Comunicación—the brand values were defined, his vision was analyzed, and his target audience was considered. With this, they could focus on his objective, direct his tone and build his brand story.

“Upon reaching the design phase, Álvaro Pérez had a clear vision of the brand’s face: a caramel helmet. Combining both the traditional and the modern. Both severe and funny. On the one hand, rigid; on the other, flexible. Contradictory, heavy, and light. A logo with more than one meaning: a plume that is the tie of a candy paper, a cloak that is also a flame, a helmet that is a piece of candy…

“And this is only the beginning. Tu Herrero de Caramelo has so much more to offer. He is working on this, and we have only accompanied him in taking his first steps. We look forward to following him to discover the next things he’s cooking up.”And this is only the beginning. Tu Herrero de Caramelo has so much more to offer. He is working on this, and we have only accompanied him in taking his first steps. We look forward to following him to discover the next things he’s cooking up.

“Tu Herrero de Caramelo is a brand that brought us sparks of red-hot metal carried on a fresh breeze: we met an entrepreneur such as Iván Domene and worked for the knife forging sector, which we are passionate about.”

See more work from El Paso, Galería de Comunicación on their website.

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