We Luv Spudz is a new mobile food trailer that specializes in BBQ and stuffed potatoes. I was able to lead the creative direction and formation of every aspect of their visual brand: Illustrated Character/Mascot, Design and Layout of Trailer Graphics, Logo and Branding, Fonts, Color Palette, and overall Brand Guidelines.
Jeff, one of their owners, initially approached me to create a character that would be the mascot of the business. Their concept was to create an illustration with a potato body, french fry hair, and aviator style glasses. I had to pause and make sure I heard him correctly. French… Fry… Hair! No doubt about it, this would be a fun and challenging project, as well as a great opportunity to help create a brand.
The illustration process
I knew that I wanted the character to be bold and completely unique. I wanted it to be simple, yet memorable. I had a dilemma; where do I even start? I got up close and personal with a Russet Potato and staged a small photoshoot so I could properly model what would become Spud’z torso.
Once I could envision what Spud would look like, I was able to create a rough sketch. I checked in with Jeff and it was exactly what he wanted. We were off to the races. Using Adobe Illustrator, I created the vector illustration that became known as Spud.
The branding process
Jeff and his We Luv Spudz team was so impressed with the character we created, they wanted me to create their Logo, Brand Package, and design their whole trailer. That was music to my ears because I already knew how I would put it together. Big, bold, and somewhat rough like the skin of a potato.
The logo and brand package featured all of the standard logo variations, five official brand colors, selection of brand fonts, and overall brand guidelines.
Character + Logo combination
With Spud (the character) and the logo complete, we could finally see them in tandem. The clean lines of Spud’s fry box and imperfect lines of it’s torso interacts seamlessly with the clean lines of Nimbus Sans Extended and the hand-drawn feel of Tropical Coast. We’d successfully laid the foundation of We Luv Spudz’ brand.
Designing the trailer
This was my favorite part of the entire project and it represented the culmination of our branding efforts. With my approach, I envisioned an old school, red and white checkered pattern around the base of the trailer, the signature red hearts, Spud larger than life, and catchy slogans that resonate with customers.
I was tasked with designing and laying out 5 sides of the trailer (Passenger, Driver, Front, Back, and Roof), providing print ready graphics to the printer, and guiding it through the print and install process, all while being remote. I’m in Dallas, Tx and the install was happening in Houston, Tx. All of the graphics for the trailer were created using Adobe Illustrator.
final mock ups for print
I wanted to make sure every element developed for the brand was used on the trailer in some way. I also created a black and grey camo pattern with a half tone circle overlay for the background. It broke up the monotony of using a flat black nicely. We Luv Spudz was floored when they saw their design. With a few adjustments, we were ready to print.
print + Install + Finished product
Fun Fact – The trailer was still in fabrication during the design process, so there was no way to get accurate measurements, something vitally important when designing for print. I had to create a model of the trailer’s measurements from photos and guestimate placement. Find a way or make one!
The final product was better than any of us could have imagined. I had a lot of fun bringing this brand to life. We Luv Spudz is now up and rolling, serving BBQ and Stuffed Potatoes around Texas! If you see them out in the world, stop by and “Let’s Eat Good.”
