Coventry Then & Now: Reimagining the Icons We Miss - Browns
COVENTRY THEN & NOW
Coventry has always been a city built from character, community and shared experience. Over time, venues have opened, flourished, and eventually closed - but for many people the memories linger. Places that once filled our streets, nights and weekends may be gone, yet their spirit remains alive through stories, photos and nostalgia.
At Create Onsight, we wanted to tap into that connection. So we created Coventry Then & Now, a blog series dedicated to revisiting beloved Coventry venues from the past and reimagining how they might feel if they reopened today.
The aim is not simply to remember, but to celebrate. To honour the past and wonder what these places could be if they returned in 2025.
The Third in the Series
We couldn’t progress to the next feature with just any venue. It needed to be a place firmly rooted in Coventry’s social history. Browns fits that perfectly. Known not only for its atmosphere but also for its striking architecture, it remains a name that comes up often when people reminisce about meeting friends, nights out and life in the city.
BROWNS
For many people in Coventry, Browns became far more than a bar. It was a familiar meeting point, the place to begin a night out, enjoy weekend drinks or simply spend time with friends. Students, young professionals and music lovers made it part of their routine, and over time it developed a distinct personality. Early evenings felt relaxed and social, while later nights grew louder and more energetic, with live music becoming a defining feature of the experience.
Browns opened in 1998, following the development of a new café-bar on the same site as a former venue. Designed by Baynes & Co., the building quickly stood out thanks to its curved roofline, sandstone detailing and large glass frontage overlooking the street. The name itself wasn’t entirely new to Coventry. Browns had existed in another location previously, so this opening marked both a move and a reinvention of the original idea.
Eventually, Browns closed its doors and joined the growing list of Coventry venues that now exist only in memory. Yet the stories have never faded. Conversations, photos and shared memories continue to circulate, particularly among those who experienced the city’s nightlife throughout the late 1990s and early 2000s.
So we asked ourselves a simple creative question. If Browns reopened today, what would it become?
The New BROWNS Brand
We decided that if Browns returned in 2025 it would operate as a café-bar. During the day it would serve breakfast and lunch, both to eat in and take away. In the evenings, it would shift into a bar offering drinks, live music and relaxed social vibes. To make the environment welcoming to a broader audience, including families on weekend afternoons, we introduced a friendly mascot character, an elephant called Binley. The character is designed to bring warmth and familiarity and make Browns feel like a place both grown-ups and children can enjoy.
Our reimagined Browns identity blends relaxed daytime charm with vibrant nighttime energy. The branding applies to signage, menus, packaging, interior graphics, social media… and of course, the Binley mascot branding across merchandise and promotional materials.
The new identity includes:
A characterful and instantly recognisable logo
The new Browns logomark has been designed to feel dynamic yet approachable, with clean lines and a structure that makes it instantly recognisable. It reflects the shift from day to night, allowing the identity to feel relaxed in the morning and more energetic in the evening without losing consistency.
A warm, flexible colour palette
Soft neutrals paired with deep greens and rich browns create a welcoming, timeless feel. To introduce contrast and personality, the palette also includes a Hot Coral accent inspired by Coventry City’s 2024/2025 away kit. This touch connects the brand back to the city in a subtle and contemporary way. The overall palette works across both daytime café service and evening bar atmosphere, adapting naturally to different moods and touchpoints.
Typography rooted in clarity and personality
A friendly serif typeface forms the foundation of the brand, offering warmth and character suitable for a café environment. This is paired with a clean sans serif for functional messaging and digital use. Together they create a system that feels confident, contemporary and easy to read across menus, signage and social content.
Illustration and storytelling through Binley the Elephant
To make Browns feel more approachable and family-friendly during daytime hours, we introduced Binley, an illustrated elephant character developed as part of the brand identity. Binley adds personality and charm, making the venue somewhere parents can comfortably visit with children while still keeping the visual identity refined for evening visitors.
Photography with atmosphere and realism
Photography focuses on real food, real spaces and real moments rather than staged perfection. Natural light captures daytime calm, while richer tones and shadow bring in the evening mood, helping the brand flex between café culture and nightlife.
Full brand rollout across key touchpoints
Menus, takeaway packaging, signage, merchandise, wall art, branded coffee cups and digital design assets have all been developed to present Browns as a fully imagined café-bar concept ready to reopen today.
What Should We Reimagine Next?
If you remember Browns, or if there was another Coventry venue you loved and wish still existed, please let us know. We’d love to explore it next.
WEB DESIGN | GRAPHIC DESIGN | BRANDING | MARKETING
Create Onsight is an independent creative agency specialising in web design, graphic design and branding.
We have a genuine passion for ideas, problem-solving and bringing brands to life. Above all else, we love what we do and we keep the process enjoyable for everyone involved.
Our experience covers everything from brand identity and logo design for new businesses, to strategic marketing campaigns, e-commerce websites, brochures, leaflets, annual reports and much more
Need a new website or brand for your business? Contact our Creative Director, Leigh at design@createonsight.co.uk or by using the enquiry form.
