Entry

Lu’s Sandwich Re-Brand

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Concept/Purpose of the Work:
A Restaurant In Progress of Rebranding With COVID ravaging the restaurant industry worldwide–LU’S was affected, they closed one more in-house dining location early in the Pandemic in 2020–LU’S approached this challenge like many restaurants by focusing on to-go orders. They also used the slower pace to re-evaluate and refresh their brand. Then, in the wake of George Floyd’s murder and international uprisings, and later in March 2021, following the shootings of the Atlanta Spa victims in Georgia. LU’S felt a deep personal call to emphasis Asian representation, identity, and community support within LU’S brand and culture.

Results of the Work:

LU'S new identity takes after the elegance of vintage advertising typefaces in old Saigon. These advertising typefaces reflect the common phrases, slogans, cultural sayings in Vietnamese vocabulary. For example ‘Ba’hn Mi Doy!’ a phrase that will be donned on the back of LU’S workers’ t-shirts, means ‘Come in, Come in, We have Banh-mi!’, a playful reference and welcoming call that can be heard often in the streets of Saigon.

The colours used in these typefaces and the brand also make reference to Saigon: muted colours associated with vintage and old Vietnamese advertising are visible to a viewer, and nod to vintage print images that often have a faded blue printed quality to them. There is also a lot of Red and Yellow in the brand: these colours are important to Asian culture and heritage generally, and are everywhere in Saigon, and echo Vietnam as well as its flag

The last element to note of the new brand is the emphasis on the carrot. ‘If you eat a sandwich-a Vietnamese sandwich-and it doesn’t have pickled carrots, then it doesn’t taste good!’ With this cultural reverence for pickled carrots on a Banh Mi, it was clear it had to be a playful centerpiece of the new LU’S logo, acting as the apostrophe in the name.

How the Work Was Delivered to the Masses:
Lu’s Sandwich’s is now under the new shortened name LU’S (but we’re still ok with people referring to us as Lu’s Sandwiches.) The name change reflects refreshed menu items offerings. In update menu offerings, guests will have the chance to enjoy and further familiarize Vietnamese street food and culture through other menu items outside of the classic Banh Mi. The rebrand celebrates LU’S past decade and also ushers in a new brand era with an emphasis of celebrating Asian representation in dining and in the Minneapolis Community. And an emphasis on being a welcoming community space and entity for diners, with values centered around equity.


Credits:
Designer: June Le
Copywriter: Allegra Lockstadt

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