Brand ID Attracts Clients in a Unique Dining Experience

Implemented by a group of culinarians who really care about food, the experience, and people’s time, fast-food chicken concept restaurant Wonderbird aims to close the gap between fast and quality food. The company opened the doors of its first restaurant in Jacksonville Beach, February 2nd.

With a generous menu including chicken sandwiches, salads, nuggets, tenders, sides, and sauces, Wonderbird needed a brand identity that shall reflect its food.

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To position the company as a new “fast-crafted restaurant,” the Florida-based independent agency St. John, which led the charge in concepting, designing, and executing all the brand’s aspects, created Wonderbird’s brand identity that is equally as unique as the restaurant’s food. “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,” said Peter Herbst, St. John’s Executive Creative Director.

“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.”

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The agency tried to capture a “magnetic” feeling inside the design elements, from food to packaging and everything in between, aiming to attract consumers in a unique culinary experience. As suggested by the name, Wonderbird behaves like a player that is a step ahead of the rest in its category. To express the idea of fast food and high-quality food in a balanced way, the creative team introduced a traditional red and yellow color palette, commonly seen across this world, combining it with a dose of matte black.

St. John chose streamlined typefaces while opting for simplicity in the logo namely to avoid the flourished patterns generally found in the craft food category, thus helping the brand stand out. The team also kept the modern and playful logo across the packaging. Besides working on these visual elements, the agency also developed interior and exterior signage, menu boards, website design, food photography, and employee T-shirts and visors and manager polo shirts.

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After winning the business in March last year, the team started working on the project in May. To communicate freshness and quality but also simplicity, three words popped into the team’s minds: “Fast. Craft. Food.” In this way, the crew did not have to sacrifice the comfort of a drive-thru. Also, to bring a whimsical feel to the brand, the agency was inspired by a series of secondary personality traits of the brand such as spirited, imaginative, or soulful.