Headbangin' Barbeque
from backyard
to brand
What did we do?
Strategy • Branding • Packaging • Collateral
Swag • Photography - Alison Dunlap
When Headbangin’ Bar-B-Que came to us, the food was already earning fans. The brand wasn’t.
Inspired by the energy of underground metal culture and DIY concert posters, we developed a visual identity that embraced the founder’s personality while helping the business stand apart in a
crowded market.
The impact was immediate. Sales doubled during the first summer following launch, helping transform a backyard operation into a growing local business with a distinct point of view.
Sometimes the best brands don’t start in a boardroom. Sometimes they start in a backyard with a smoker and a vision.
Where they were.
It was clear Mark new the importance of branding. However, the initial take on the brand left an unappetizing feeling and an abscence of anything 'heavy'.
Where we went.
It was clear that "meat and metal" needed to be at the forefront of the brand. It also needed a level of accessibility for those who love meat, but not metal. We landed on a mood board of found imagery that became the cornerstone of the brand.
the brand
The brand needed a HEAVY visual. The pig with a sword through its skull is about as metal as it gets. Drawing on the grotesque images of metal posters, it needed to have that feel, but not feel so real that it turns customers away from the food. The cartoonish nature, coupled with the blackletter type, evokes the spirit of the do-it-yourself posters of the genre.
