Hey Caddy, by X-Golf
STRATEGY / BRANDING / INTERIOR DESIGN / WAY-FINDING / COLLATERAL
A putt above the rest.
Refining the traditional putt-putt experience, Hey Caddy is a leading high-end mini-golf lounge experience serving up first-class thrills of delicious food, lip-smacking cocktails and good times. Fun for the family, and even better for adults, Hey Caddy is the lighter side of golf, bringing the competitive nature of the green whilst turning up the fun factor to level 11 on their custom-designed mini-golf fairways. Designed for all ages, the brand experience is 100% fun, witty, tongue-in-cheek, and sprinkled with a little nostalgia on top.
Background
Conceived by X-Golf — one of Australia’s largest virtual golf simulator brands — as the leader in golf virtual simulator technology, the group saw an opportunity to complement its business model with a family-friendly concept focused on attracting the casual player in for a good time (and swing!). Appealing to all ages and genders, Hey Caddy combines state-of-the-art mini-golf, immersive design, the latest in bar food, cocktails and DJ tunes for a one-of-a-kind experience. Designed to stand side-by-side with the X-Golf venue, Hey Caddy is a new mini-putt experience that will deliver high-quality, immersive and hospitality-focused entertainment as a franchise all over Australia.
Challenge
The new ‘mini putt’ brand is required to appeal to a broader demographic of young professionals, families and women - not just male players who already love golf. Research found that current mini-golf venues were very focused on pop culture, so there is an opportunity to elevate the experience and position the concept to be more premium. With X-Golf already open, the need to ensure that the new brand translated holistically into the in-venue experience was paramount. BrandWorks was tasked with developing the brand’s strategy, name, identity and interior design for its new venues, where the visual graphics and interior design cues needed to be clear and aligned, eye-catching and distinctive when standing next to the X-Golf brand.
Opportunity
One of the key opportunities) in creating the new brand from scratch was articulating the right tone of voice for Hey Caddy. Wanting to be a little tongue-in-cheek whilst familiar as your dad’s favourite cardigan, the brand adopted a dry, witty, funny, cheeky, smooth, good banter, helpful, knowledgeable type of speakeasy. Think Ryan Reynolds as your playing partner, where Hey Caddy is just your average friendly, fun-loving guy with a great smile and full of great one-liners and puns. The ladies see a gentleman, the lads see a legend, and the kids, well, they see a hero, a ‘fun uncle’ if you will — because he’s actually just a big kid at heart. The brand’s personality led the direction for its identity, where nostalgic golfing cues combined with playful markups in bright carnival colour helped bring its namesake to life.
BrandWorks took an end-to-end approach with the brand’s rollout, taking care of virtually every item, from interior finishes and materials to soft furnishings and seating arrangements, uniforms, merchandise, menu design, signage, decals and way-finding. The identity was also translated to online digital, including a website, social media guidelines and instagram tiles.
Result
In early March 2022, Hey Caddy opened its doors for the very first time with the relaunch of X-Golf North Lakes, Queensland. Highly anticipated, the concept was well-received by locals and out-of-towners alike, drawing in a broad spectrum of age groups, special interests and the millennial customer. Full to brim with good vibes and appealing to a proportionally younger demographic, the brand has maintained a premium experience built on thoughtful design, eye-catching visuals and high-stakes entertainment value.
Ready to play?
Say hello to your new best friend (with benefits) — you can call him Caddy.
Hey Caddy Townsville opening, courtesy of Hey Caddy AU/NZ.
