In September 2015 a client approached us with the vision of creating a fast food brand capable of disrupting this ever increasing industry within North East England.

We worked closely with the client through our Brand Development programme to understand and clarify what would set his brand apart from the many other fast-food restaurant brands in the local area.

Starting by defining the brand, we found that the vision was to establish a brand that would become known as the best value for money fish and chip takeaway in the region. This was to be achieved through fast, efficient, and quality service, and a sizeable 12oz fish as the signature dish.

With the brand now defined, we began work on developing a distinct name for the brand. Based on the brands agreed archetype (defined during a brand name workshop), we developed a number of brand name routes that could help the client achieve their vision. Most of these were evocative routes based on the local area, however a more abstract option was favoured. And so “Barbel” was born.

“Barbel”; a whisker-like sensory organ found near the mouth of fish which houses the taste buds and are used to search for food in murky waters, a fitting name for the brand in hand.

With a clear understanding of what the brand stood for and a new name, we then got to work on designing the brands logo. A number of visual styles and logo concepts were presented, with a fresh and clean route emerging, further differentiating Barbel from its competitors.

As part of the design of the logotype and visual style, we developed a strap line to help clarify the promise of the brand to its consumers. The striking and high contrast logotype combined with the brands “Feast on Freshness” promise, reflect the weightiness of the portions on offer and the freshness of the product.

Along with these assets, we also designed and managed the production of printed menus, in-store menu boards, various packaging, staff uniforms, loyalty cards, digital communications and also the visual look and feel for the shop interiors which will be rolled out throughout Barbel branches in the near future.

Keep an eye out for further updates on the Barbel project on our blog and social media channels.