Studio Quiche

Green Mountain —

Branding for a sustainable firelog company

Brief

When the founders of Green Mountain Fire could not find a clean-burning firelog they trusted, one made from 100 percent real hardwood and safe for families, they made one themselves.

The product solved a clear functional problem, but the brand faced a different challenge.

After navigating the early years of growth, the company reached an inflection point. Long-term success would depend on customer retention, not just awareness. And retention would require more than performance claims. It would require trust, emotional connection, and a story that felt as authentic as the product itself.

When the founders of Green Mountain Fire could not find a clean-burning firelog they trusted, one made from 100 percent real hardwood and safe for families, they made one themselves.

The product solved a clear functional problem, but the brand faced a different challenge.

Strategy & Messaging
Logo & Visual Identity

Packaging

Retail & Tradeshow Collateral

Campaign Ideation

Strategy & Messaging
Logo & Visual Identity

Packaging

Retail & Tradeshow Collateral

Campaign Ideation

Strategy

Firelogs are purchased for utility, but they are used in moments of meaning.

Early conversations with the founders revealed a consistent set of values beneath the business. Family rituals. Shared silence. Stories told fireside. Time spent together without distraction. While competitors leaned heavily into efficiency, burn time, or rustic tropes, we identified an opportunity to reframe the category around human connection.

The strategic goal was not to make the brand louder or trendier. It was to make it feel familiar, grounded, and enduring.

To achieve this, we made several deliberate brand decisions:

Heritage over trend. Traditional typography and classic proportions were chosen to evoke longevity and earned trust.
Warmth over wilderness. Illustrated textures replaced hyper-real photography to create a sense of memory rather than place.
Emotion over efficiency. Messaging focused on ritual and connection, leading to the “Stay Fireside” tagline.
System over surface. The identity was built as a flexible system that could scale across packaging, retail, and trade environments without losing coherence.

These choices required restraint. Defining what the brand would not emphasize was as important as defining what it would.

Firelogs are purchased for utility, but they are used in moments of meaning.

The strategic goal was not to make the brand louder or trendier. It was to make it feel familiar, grounded, and enduring.

To achieve this, we made several deliberate brand decisions:

Heritage over trend. Traditional typography and classic proportions were chosen to evoke longevity and earned trust.
Warmth over wilderness. Illustrated textures replaced hyper-real photography to create a sense of memory rather than place.
Emotion over efficiency. Messaging focused on ritual and connection, leading to the “Stay Fireside” tagline.
System over surface. The identity was built as a flexible system that could scale across packaging, retail, and trade environments without losing coherence.

These choices required restraint. Defining what the brand would not emphasize was as important as defining what it would.

‍Kristin Silva
Justine Closterman
Ashley Cee Domers
David Chiu

Results

The resulting brand system balances human warmth with retail clarity. It feels at home in large retail environments while still signaling care, craft, and intention.

Today, Green Mountain Fire products are carried nationally at Home Depot, Walmart, and Ace Hardware, offering a cleaner and more meaningful alternative within the traditional firelog category.

Beyond placement, the brand has established a lasting emotional position. One rooted in memory, ritual, and time spent together.

The resulting brand system balances human warmth with retail clarity. It feels at home in large retail environments while still signaling care, craft, and intention.

Beyond placement, the brand has established a lasting emotional position. One rooted in memory, ritual, and time spent together.

The resulting brand system balances human warmth with retail clarity. It feels at home in large retail environments while still signaling care, craft, and intention.

Beyond placement, the brand has established a lasting emotional position. One rooted in memory, ritual, and time spent together.