white rose rebranding
The prompt for this class project was to take a local small business and give them a brand refresh. I chose White Rose since it is a beloved small diner with a special, nostalgic charm that appeals to all ages. My goal was to help them gain more traffic while keeping their loyal regulars.
I started by researching the company including demographic, location images, and public reception. From this information I performed a SWOT analysis to see where I could improve upon the brand.
I felt the areas that could benefit the most from a rebrand were the logo, website, and menu. While a lot of the return customers mentioned they appreciated the “no frills” atmosphere, the menu and website did not reflect the high quality food and service you would find inside, which may not appeal to those who have never stopped in.
I found some inspiration for retro diner logos and created a mood board where I also found inspiration for a new cohesive color palette and typeface. I wanted to create a tagline that could be used consistently across print and web, and decided on “Save Some Room for Pie!” which emphasizes the diner’s charm.
I began on some posters that could go up around the town and would catch the eye of people passing through. One of the issues with the current menu was that there were no images of the food. Including these images alongside informing viewers of weekly specials is intended to be informative as well as pique appetites. For my final deliverables, I created two posters, web ads and banners, and a new menu with images.
This was a very exciting project as this diner is very nostalgic to me as it is to many locals. I believe this rebranding campaign would be successful at the goal of drawing in new customers while keeping the vintage, “no frills” charm.
