Rebranding Plan for Don Eatery: Attracting Youth

Presented to:

Don Eatery

Prepared by:

Hana Fawzy

March 20, 2024

Abstract

This paper offers a thorough rebranding concept designed specifically for Cairo's DON Eatery,

an Asian street food joint. This rebranding initiative's main goals are to refresh the brand, draw

in a younger audience, and position DON Eatery as a buzzworthy dining destination. The design

decisions and strategic orientation for DON Eatery's rebranding have been informed by the

insights obtained from the analysis of two case studies: Scoops Ice Cream Shop and Chobani.
Table of Content

s
1. Introduction..................................................................................................................................................4
2. Case Study Analysis......................................................................................................................................5
3. Design Concept.............................................................................................................................................8
4. Evaluation & Reflection.............................................................................................................................11
5. Conclusion..................................................................................................................................................12
References............................................................................................................................................................13
 1. Introduction

Success in the ever-changing hospitality sector of today depends on being relevant and adapting

to changing consumer preferences. In this case, the client aims to resonate with and satisfy its

preferred audience. This investigation offers a thorough rebranding plan tailored for Cairo's

DON Eatery, an Asian street food joint.

Client’s Requirements:

The goal of DON Eatery's strategic redesign of its visual identity and customer experience is to

renew the brand, attract a younger consumer base, and establish its position as an exciting food

destination.

Rebranding: Either corporate or product related, where a change in name, logo or slogan is

done in order to differentiate a brand from competitors or where a new identity requires a change

of the brand elements (Muzellec et al., 2003; Kaikati & Kaikati, 2003).
 2. Case Study Analysis

The case studies below give insight into real projects that undertook a rebranding, as well as,

provide inspiration for this project. They also serve as validation for the undertaken design

choices, providing evidence of their effectiveness.

Case Study 1: Scoops Ice Cream Shop

Scoops Ice Cream Shop targets specifically young people and students, making it a relevant case

study for this project because of Scoops’ shared target consumer base with DON Eatery.

According to Kokurina (2023), this demographic seeks an experience that aligns with their

values and aspirations, prioritising authenticity, quality, and freshness.

To start, the shop’s new logo consists of 3 components, an ice cream cone, an ice cream scoop,

and a topping. This communicates the customisable nature of their ice cream.

When it comes to the use of color, bold colours and graphic features define Scoops' new brand

identity. Bright colours like Bubblegum Pink, Deep Teal, and Creamy Yellow exude vitality,

freshness, and playfulness, which perfectly fits the target demographic's youthful energy.

The elements of playfulness and vitality are also echoed in the use of two complimentary fonts

for Scoops’ typography. The playful script typeface Lily Script, captures the spirit of creativity
and fun that accompanies eating ice cream. Meanwhile, Europa Nuova Regular guarantees

legibility for longer-form writing with its crisp and contemporary sans-serif design.

All in all, Scoops' brand identity effectively conveys the company's principles and connects with

its target market, by implementing vivid colours, lively images, and dynamic typography.Case

Case Study 2: Chobani

Chobani, a yoghurt company founded in 2005, undertook a major rebrand of its packaging and

overall identity in 2018.

Chobani's branding (figure 1) was practical for a regular yoghurt product, with a simple white

background combined with minimalist typography and simple photos of fruit. However, it was

too minimalist that it overlooked the main intention behind the branding, highlighting Chobani’s

products and their exquisite flavours.

 figure 1

This led to a rebranding that focused on presenting a more vibrant, vivid, satisfying, and

colourful experience. The previously white background was turned into a more enticing slightly

off-white colour. The previously-used fruit photos were swapped out for illustrations, (figure 2)

given that illustrations had grown more popular among consumers. The company also switched

to a smoother font for its logo, which subtly conveyed its products’ feel.
 figure 2

“In today's world, maximalist aesthetics in food branding can provide consumers with more

insight regarding the nature of the items they are buying.” (Andrews, 2020)

3. Design Concept

The goal of DON Eatery's design concept is to establish an energetic and captivating brand

identity that appeals to its new target market, which is young people. Considering the importance

of resonating with this audience, our design approach will concentrate on developing a visually

striking and memorable brand identity that is consistent with their goals and beliefs.
Maximalist Aesthetic:

It is necessary for DON Eatery to stand out from the competition. Andrews states “Adopting

principles of maximalism into food branding is an opportunity for brands to showcase their

brand’s personality among a crowd of minimal-looking competition.”(2020)

By taking a maximalist approach to this rebranding project, customers will find it easier to

identify and remember DON Eatery out of a wide array of options for two reasons. One, the eye-

catching and distinctively maximalist brand identity will work to draw the audience’s attention,

awareness, and interest. More than that, the maximalist approach to the design concept will

demonstrate DON Eatery’s ability to stay current and relevant, appealing to the evolving tastes

of its target audience.

Logo Design:

Even though a maximalist design approach may incorporate vivid colors and striking visuals in a

variety of marketing materials, such as menus, posters, and social media graphics, it is

unnecessary for the logo to be cluttered. In fact, the key to a distinctive and recognisable brand

identity is a simple logo design. (Fuad, 2022)

 figure 3

Color Palette:

In order to attract the attention of the intended younger demographic, DON Eatery's new brand

identity will have an overtly bold, rich, and varied colour scheme, like Scoops' successful use of

a vibrant colour scheme. Drawing inspiration from the lively hues characteristic to cities that

serve as inspiration for DON Eatery’s menu, like Tokyo and Beijing, the colour palette will

include punchy red, vibrant yellow and fiery orange to convey a feeling of life, enthusiasm, and

playfulness that will appeal to the demographic's youthful energy. These colours will be

deliberately employed across the restaurant's branding materials.

Menu Design:

A well-designed menu should reflect the personality of the restaurant and be designed with the

main goals in mind. (Limsakul, 2019). With this in mind, I designed this maximalist menu,

featuring eye-catching illustrations which, according to Kokurina, are preferred over realistic
images (2023). I also made sure to include distinct sections and big headings for a bold and

engaging visual presentation.

To increase visual appeal and direct the viewer's attention, I used dynamic layouts that blend text

and picture in unconventional methods, such as overlapping components, asymmetrical

arrangements, and interesting patterns. The variety and diversity of the items on the DON Eatery

menu are communicated through a rich and engaging visual experience that is not only

accentuated by bold designs, but also vibrant colours, and attention to detail.

figure 4

4. Evaluation & Reflection

DON Eatery's proposed design effectively attains the client’s requirements, whereas the design

concept successfully targets the younger customer base by adopting a maximalist aesthetic. It

also draws inspiration from case studies of brands that went on to successfully target a younger

demographic by rebranding.

Upon reflection on the design process, I can identify both strengths and weaknesses.

Strengths:

With the client's vision for the brand in mind, the recommended design represents a deep

understanding of their needs and preferences. It also represents an understanding of the impact

and influence of different design elements on a consumer. This is why the design process

exhibits a strategic approach to meeting the client's objectives. In addition, the use of a visually

striking and distinctive brand identity for DON Eatery, which demonstrates creativity and

innovation.

Weaknesses:

While maximalism is a visually attractive approach, there are some concerns that should be kept

in mind. While using a lot of bold elements could draw the audience’s attention, there’s a chance

that using excessive elements will overwhelm the viewer.

5. Conclusion
DON Eatery's rebranding plan has been thoughtfully developed to emphasise the restaurant’s

position as a contemporary dining destination and to attract younger guests.

The research behind the design approach included an examination of case studies belonging to

brands with similar rebranding goals, Chobani and Scoops Ice Cream Shop. Combined with a

knowledge of the essentials of successful branding and design, I have created a comprehensive

graphic design package that not only satisfies the client's needs but also takes into account the

target audience's evolving desires and preferences.

The design concept of DON Eatery adopts a maximalist style as a calculated move to

differentiate itself in a crowded market and appeal to the restaurant's target demographic of

young people.

While the bright and complementary colour palette takes influence from bustling Asian city

streets, offering a sense of energy and passion, the logo's simplicity guarantees recognisability

and brand recall. The maximalist menu design, which has eye-catching illustrations and bold

headlines, produces a visually impressive presentation of the restaurant’s wide selection of food

items and embodies the personality of DON Eatery.

By incorporating vibrant colours, bold graphics, and maximalist aesthetics, DON Eatery's new

brand identity conveys energy, excitement, and youthfulness, capturing the attention of a

younger audience and creating a memorable dining experience.

References
Andrews, E. (2020). Maximalist Design for Food Branding Maximalist Design for Food

Branding.

Fuad, N. S. B. (2022). THE ADVANTAGE OF REBRANDING FOOD AND BEVERAGE

BUSINESS.

Kokurina, V. (2023). Exploring the role of graphic design in enhancing the brand identity and

menu designs of restaurants: a case study approach (Doctoral dissertation).

Limsakul, C. (2019). CORPORATE IDENTITY DESIGN FOR YURAK KOREAN

RESTAURANT. ALBERT LAURENCE SCHOOL OF COMMUNICATION ARTS

ASSUMPTION UNIVERSITY.

Muzellec, L., Doogan, M., & Lambkin, M. (2003). Corporate rebranding-an exploratory

review. Irish Marketing Review, 16(2), 31-40.