Big C Charters is the premier charter service in the San Francisco Bay Area offering hands-on fishing trips and excursions. Founded by 6’8″ former professional basketball player Christian Cavanaugh, Big C gets its name from the big man himself and his local reputation for the biggest catches.
The name Big C Charters presented an opportunity to create an iconic logo — an unforgettably tall, hooked ‘C’. The resulting visual identity consisted of a new logo, hi-vis color palette inspired by the pop of colors found aboard, a bespoke display typeface, reportage style photography and brand collateral.
With a growing fanbase and fleet, Big C wanted to expand the joy of fishing, whale watching, and other excursions, particularly to younger folks. Fishing is stereotypically relegated to older men — Big C wanted a brand to match the fun, friendly experiences they offer, without alienating the older generation. We set out to create a brand that helped challenge old-fashioned views around fishing.
The name Big C Charters presented a chance to create an iconic logo — an unforgettably tall, hooked C. A custom typeface, Big C Sans, was developed, inspired by the vernacular of charters. Visually, the brand bucks ocean blue clichés, using a vibrant palette based on colors found aboard. Alongside reportage photography, it’s a compelling identity that appeals to a wide audience & sets Big C apart.
Big C Charters had its sights set on expanding the business beyond fishing. Acquiring a catamaran allowed them to offer nature trips & custom excursions, providing a viable option for team outings, reunions, private parties, weddings and more. With many established charters in the Bay Area, it’s difficult to choose a service.
Our resulting identity system provided Big C with a distinct, modern look, assets to grow and market their business.
The visual language uses a vibrant palette inspired by the pop of colors found onboard their boats (hi-vis clothing, bait flashers and hooks). These colors buck the category cliché of ‘ocean blues’ to help challenge the old-fashion perspective around fishing.
Accompanied by reportage style photography capturing real moments on the sea, the elements come to together to form a compelling visual identity, created to appeal to a younger audience while not alienated a more experienced angler. Visually this sets it apart from all of the other charter companies in the Bay Area.
The visual identity champions the individual crew members and boats that make Big C Charters’ service beloved.
Crew are given custom jackets with their initials, reinforcing their value to the team and helping passengers identify and put names to faces. Their fleet is also differentiated since passengers often have an attachment to a particular boat and the unique experience on the water it offers.
When rolling out the visual identity, Mucho looked to create fun and memorable moments within brand collateral. This included playful use of scale with the ‘Big C’ logo and typeface as well as extending the language of fishing hooks in unexpected ways.
Mucho is without a doubt the greatest thing that has happened to our business. We’re a small family owned fishing company just getting our start in the San Francisco Bay Area. The team blew us away with their thoughtfulness, creativity and enthusiasm to reimagine our brand identity and strategic opportunity.
