Want A Serif with Your Whopper? Burger King’s Earthy, Retro Rebrand

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Want A Serif with Your Whopper? Burger King’s Earthy, Retro Rebrand

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Rich tones, a new font ‘Flame’ and a nod to the brand’s roots as Jones Knowles Ritchie helps Burger King have it their way, writes Laura Swinton

Want A Serif with Your Whopper? Burger King’s Earthy, Retro Rebrand

Burger King steps into 2021 with a fresh new look that looks forward and back. They’ve just launched a rebrand that revives its 70s logo and introduces a vintage-looking palette of oranges, browns, mellow reds, creams, mustards and summer camp greens. All very retro, yet also a visual encapsulation of Burger King’s drive to remove artificial preservatives from its food and commit to a wholesome agenda of reducing its environmental impact.

The new look was devised by Jones Knowles Ritchie. It also unifies the Burger King logo with the brand’s design across all touch points, including a new crew uniform, packaging, and digital platforms. The look has been built around four principles: Mouthwatering, Big & Bold, Playfully Irreverent and Proudly True.

“Design is one of the most essential tools we have for communicating who we are and what we value, and it plays a vital role in creating desire for our food and maximizing guests’ experience,” said Raphael Abreu, Restaurant Brands International Head of Design. “We wanted to use design to get people to crave our food; its flame-grilling perfection and above all, its taste.”

Notably, the rebrand ditches the bright primary colours and swooshing shapes of the logo that has been with the brand for over 20 years. The new logo goes back to a classic design of the Burger King name between a bun that was first introduced in 1969. There are, of course a couple of tweaks to refine the design and bring it up to date.

Explaining the thinking behind the logo decisions, Burger King say: “Since launching the current logo in 1999, the industry has transitioned to a more modern, digital-friendly design language. The new minimalist logo seamlessly meets the brand evolution of the times and pays homage to the brand heritage with a refined design that’s confident, simple and fun.”

JKR has also created a new font for the brand. ‘Flame’ is a rounded, bubbly serifed font with a nod to the 60s and 70s. According to a statement from Burger King, ‘Flame’ is inspired ‘by the shapes of BK food - rounded, bold, yummy - and brand’s irreverent personality’.

It’s not all vintage – the launch assets show how the look provides the perfect platform for bold, contemporary illustration.

The new design will roll out in store across markets over the next few years, though some markets will start seeing it in 2021.