An Air of Whimsy and Inclusiveness
Jacksonville FL-based agency St. John led the charge in concepting, designing and executing all aspects of Wonderbird, a new fast food chicken concept aiming to close the gap between fast and quality food. The first restaurant opened in Jacksonville Beach FL on February 2.
St. John worked with Wonderbird to position the brand as a new “fast crafted restaurant”. Says Peter Herbst, St. John’s Executive Creative Director: “So many of the QSR brands we’re acquainted with today have roots dating back 40-50 years, and honestly some haven’t aged particularly well. This was a chance to start from scratch with a brand that wanted to do something different in the category. We knew Wonderbird’s branding should feel different — lighter, fresher, sharper with an air of whimsy and inclusiveness. From the name to the menu boards, it had to stand out in a way that would make folks smile.”
To find the fast food-quality balance, St. John incorporated a more traditional red and yellow color palette as commonly seen in the fast food world with heavy does of matte black. The agency also selected streamlined typefaces, while opting for a clean and simple logo mark to avoid the flourished type and pattern often found in the craft food. The increased visibility of the Wonderbird logo across packaging was also kept modern and playful with the placement and scale of the mark.
The firm came up with “Fast. Craft. Food.” as the brand descriptor to connote simplicity, freshness and quality ingredients without sacrificing convenience. The project included everything from the name and logo, to the color palette, typography, product packaging and branded materials, interior and exterior signage, menu boards, website design, food photography, and employee t-shirts and visors and manager polo shirts.
Agency credits include President Jeff McCurry, Executive Creative Director Peter Herbst, Associate Creative Director Jennifer Domaradzki, Associate Creative Director Kristen Bankert, Senior Account Manager Catherine Nilon, Senior Project Manager Ian DeSousa, Senior Art Director Heather Raines, and Senior UX Designer Sabreena Katz Canlas. Photography is by Garcia Studio, Inc.