Mercado São Jorge
Food / Retail
From an organic market to a certified benchmark in sustainability.
From an organic market to a certified benchmark in sustainability.
1. CONTEXT
Florianópolis’ leading organic market, Mercado São Jorge brings together a grocery store, its own restaurant and partner restaurants, a café, brewery, bookstore, and sustainable goods store under one roof. Everything there is organic: 100% of the products sold and ingredients used. The business grew in much the same way: naturally, respecting the time things need to take.
Florianópolis’ leading organic market, Mercado São Jorge brings together a grocery store, its own restaurant and partner restaurants, a café, brewery, bookstore, and sustainable goods store under one roof. Everything there is organic: 100% of the products sold and ingredients used. The business grew in much the same way: naturally, respecting the time things need to take.
2. CHALLENGE
People saw Mercado as “the place where everything is organic,” but there was much more behind it. The brand failed to convey the scale of its impact in a Brazilian organic market that remains highly elitist. The challenge was also internal: making the entire network - from producers to the administrative team and the people restocking the produce section - understand why Mercado exists and what guides its choices. At the same time, the company was structuring its compliance and ESG practices, an ongoing evolution that needed to be communicated more clearly. In the identity, the sword and apple, two iconic elements, had to remain, but the realism of the original illustrations made them difficult to apply and scale down.
People saw Mercado as “the place where everything is organic,” but there was much more behind it. The brand failed to convey the scale of its impact in a Brazilian organic market that remains highly elitist. The challenge was also internal: making the entire network - from producers to the administrative team and the people restocking the produce section - understand why Mercado exists and what guides its choices. At the same time, the company was structuring its compliance and ESG practices, an ongoing evolution that needed to be communicated more clearly. In the identity, the sword and apple, two iconic elements, had to remain, but the realism of the original illustrations made them difficult to apply and scale down.
3. SOLUTION
Before touching the logo, the work began by understanding the culture, processes, and the gap between what was being said and what was actually happening in practice. The positioning brought to the surface Mercado’s role in connecting people to the life around them, natural and cyclical, and the company began to show its entire production chain: its network of professionals, close relationships with farmers, and initiatives supporting the organic market. In the visual identity, the imperfection of organic produce became a language of its own, expressed through raw, abstract forms and sharp angles. The sword and apple were redrawn in a simpler way, while the windows of the iconic façade became graphic elements connecting the brand to the physical space. Cozinha do Mercado, its main sub-brand, gained a symbol derived from the apple, making it clear that everything used in the kitchen comes from Mercado itself. The color palette draws from the cycles of nature and the seasons.
Before touching the logo, the work began by understanding the culture, processes, and the gap between what was being said and what was actually happening in practice. The positioning brought to the surface Mercado’s role in connecting people to the life around them, natural and cyclical, and the company began to show its entire production chain: its network of professionals, close relationships with farmers, and initiatives supporting the organic market. In the visual identity, the imperfection of organic produce became a language of its own, expressed through raw, abstract forms and sharp angles. The sword and apple were redrawn in a simpler way, while the windows of the iconic façade became graphic elements connecting the brand to the physical space. Cozinha do Mercado, its main sub-brand, gained a symbol derived from the apple, making it clear that everything used in the kitchen comes from Mercado itself. The color palette draws from the cycles of nature and the seasons.
4. RESULTS
The message “Start better days” began to be lived from within and experienced from the outside. The positioning prompted changes in the organizational culture, including improved benefits and a new working schedule designed to give employees a better quality of life: changes that are reflected in the customer experience and create greater brand consistency. Visitors to the space understand that they are part of something bigger, one that supports small-scale farmers and a more sustainable supply chain. This evolution is already being recognized: in 2026, Mercado São Jorge became the first business participating in the initiative by the City of Florianópolis to receive the Biosphere sustainability certification.
The message “Start better days” began to be lived from within and experienced from the outside. The positioning prompted changes in the organizational culture, including improved benefits and a new working schedule designed to give employees a better quality of life: changes that are reflected in the customer experience and create greater brand consistency. Visitors to the space understand that they are part of something bigger, one that supports small-scale farmers and a more sustainable supply chain. This evolution is already being recognized: in 2026, Mercado São Jorge became the first business participating in the initiative by the City of Florianópolis to receive the Biosphere sustainability certification.
