Rolandsbogen – Branding for a landmark on the Rhine

by Katrin Tindler-Kempen | 28 Oct 2021

Customer

Roland Arch

Services

Basics Logos, typography, visual language, graphic elements Stationery Business cards, letterheads, stamps, envelopes, waiter’s notepad, map Environment Interior design consultancy Product Wine label, mulled wine glass, food and drinks menus for Rolands, the Rheinromantik Terrace and Freiligrath’s Schatzkammer Campaigns Advertisements, posters, roll-ups Messaging Brochure, stamp book Events Appearance at the “I love Bonner Bogen” festival Guidelines CD manual

Public Relations

Brand Strategy with vision

The Rolandsbogen has a long history. As early as the 19th century, it became a meeting place for students, poets and thinkers – a place where culture and nature merge. This special atmosphere formed the basis for our branding strategy:

We developed a brand identity that does not simply preserve the historical heritage, but retells it – as a link between the past and the present.

The result is a corporate identity that conveys a sense of character: authentic, minimalist, yet emotional. This is how tradition becomes a brand promise.

Corporate Design for catering

Unique, modern menus set the stage for all the delights to follow. Three restaurants, one experience: The Rolandsbogen brings together fine dining, regional cuisine and event catering under one roof. 2bu design developed a well-thought-out design system for this purpose, which fosters a sense of unity whilst simultaneously highlighting the individual character of each concept.

From the oversized A3 card with a haptically appealing envelope to the acrylic placemat and the wooden clipboard, everything was also stylishly finished with embossing or engraving. Important for every menu card: the card contents must be quick and inexpensive to replace.

Together, they form a consistent corporate design for the catering industry, which creates brand recognition and evokes emotions. At the same time, everything remains practical: content can be replaced quickly and cost-effectively without compromising the high-quality brand image.

I am very happy that I had Katrin as my contact person for our design. She is not only a top designer, but also has an enormous amount of entrepreneurial thinking. Together we created a holistic brand experience for the Rolandsbogen. The three restaurants were given a coherent yet very individual design, which was also reflected in the matching menus she created.

Kristina Knobloch
Managing Director | Rolandsbogen

Rebranding with history

Since 1929, the Rolandsbogen has stood for hospitality, quality and consistency. Over generations, it has grown into a brand that is now recognised far beyond Bonn.

2bu design translated this heritage into a contemporary rebranding that is compelling both visually and strategically:
A clean logo, understated typography and a modern colour palette – the new visual identity combines historical depth with timeless elegance.

This makes the Rolandsbogen not just a destination for day trips, but a brand with character and recognition value.

Event branding with identity

At the 2009 „Open Day“ at the Bonner Bogen, visitors were able to experience the new brand identity first-hand. 2bu design created the entire event branding – from the visual concept right through to the giveaways.
The concept focused on emotional brand communication: lovingly designed postcards depicting the legend of Roland’s Bow could be personalised and posted.
In this way, a local event gave rise to an authentic brand presentation that connects people – through history, design and emotion.