Waxy Bar, its name derived from the wax of vinyl records, was a live concert and vinyl-listening bar above Club Zukunft in Zurich, curated by Ronny Hunger. Conceived as a space for immersive musical experiences and cultural exchange, it hosted more than 120 concerts and an even greater number of vinyl-only DJ sets between February 2023 and March 2025.
Its visual identity rejected conventional event promotion centered on artist photography and genre labels in favor of a radical, text-driven approach. Drawing on the visual language of 1970s and 1980s billboards, generic packaging, and Ed Ruscha’s typographic practice, the design system relied on bold typography and enigmatic headlines. Event announcements took the form of ironic product advertisements, reframing concerts as objects of desire through playful, narrative-driven copy.
This reductive approach extended across posters, flyers, the venue’s interior, video commercials, merchandise, and even a custom beer collaboration, establishing a coherent visual identity that privileged atmosphere, intrigue, and a different mode of event communication.
LL Geigy Medium served as the logo and primary text typeface, providing a consistent framework for a rotating selection of predominantly vintage display typefaces used to give each event its own distinct character.
Leporello with the program for May 2024. “Stellar Secrets” is in Jackson, with condensed proportions. See the images below for the other fonts in use.
Optima, Othello, Brush Script, and more Helvetica
Times, Gill Kayo, Gill Sans, an unidentified monolinear italic, and ITC Souvenir
An unidentified display face with Helvetica, two weights of ITC Serif Gothic, ITC Avant Garde Gothic
More Helvetica, a condensed version of Pistilli Roman (?), and Stencil with Impact
LL Geigy with Futura, ITC Busorama, and more Helvetica
![, [see comments], and](https://original.fontsinuse.com/fontsinuse.com/use-images/N301/301581/301581.jpeg)
An unidentified font, Futura Extra Bold, and italic caps from Cooper Black
Contoured Aachen, Futura with an unknown rounded sans, and more ITC Busorama
![, [see comments], and](https://original.fontsinuse.com/fontsinuse.com/use-images/N301/301584/301584.jpeg)
Linear, San Francisco Rounded [see comments], and Octopuss
Extrabold italic Riccione with a modified W, Cooper Black, ITC Avant Garde Gothic
Coliseum, more Impact, Art Gallery
4 Comments on “Waxy Bar”
The typeface for “Faded Splendor” is Marlide Display. The unidentified rounded sans is SF Pro Rounded.
Thanks, Harry! Added.
I can’t quite get SF Compact Rounded to match “Vibrant Creations”, even with stretching – in that typeface, the apertures in a e s C are larger and the terminals of r and t slightly different. Apart from that, it’s very close. I’d assume it’s a modification, or a different version perhaps?
Never mind, I was looking at the wrong width: it’s SF Rounded, as you wrote (not SF Compact Rounded).
The problem with URW Radiant is that the ß in the bold weight is far too thick and is never and never and never changed. This ß was inherited from Radiant Heavy. It’s a real shame, especially considering the prices Monotype is asking.