22 Comments

Now, I'm all for design that doesn't take itself seriously, and I'm pleased that Pentagram loosened their tie, so to speak, for its identity work for Bobby Flay’s Burger Palace, but am I the only one who thinks the logo is simplistic, obvious and garish, even for a burger joint?
Reality Check
2008-08-13 20:54:21

Predictable colour scheme. Don't like the typeface. Identity looks like a 50's pastiche for a movie set. Lotta words in the identity - Bobby's Burger's would been better?
palace it ain't.
dave
2008-08-14 10:19:08

it is pretty predictable...
simon
2008-08-14 14:29:40

I like it. I don't expect or even hope visual synapse popping from burger joint branding, but this does the job. Simple, clean, friendly and with that element of kitsch that fits the interior architecture of the place and the belljar that is long island. Done.
honest joe
2008-08-14 15:07:28

I would love to see the other logo design concepts presented to the client before they got sold on this design. This could have been so much better with some very simple graphic design skills applied to the font. If I presented a client with a logo design like this then I would expect them to ask for their money back. This just does not do it for me on any level. As they say "it's not big and it's not clever".

Not the best brand I have seen reinvented. Sorry but thats my personal opinion.
Simonmc
2008-08-15 08:07:18

I like it a lot. It's bold, fresh, clever and entirely appropriate. I think Mr.Bierut has already applied substantially more than 'very simple graphic design skills' to the project.
Adam
2008-08-15 13:10:25

@Simonmc: what are these 'simple graphic design skills' you talk of?

I forgot to say that the name, even if it is chintzy, fits also.
honest joe
2008-08-15 13:53:50

since when is the meat in burger red?
jim
2008-08-15 15:40:09

They must be selling a lot of burgers to afford Pentagram.
Creepers
2008-08-15 16:47:34

Half of me wants to hate it and half of me wants to love it. I really can't make up my mind. Like the architecture and interior and also the packaging, but the logo as a stand alone element isn't the best in my opinion. I think it's a well designed when looked upon as a brand rather than just a logo.

And I agree with Jim, a red burger to me suggests it's raw :O)
Pete
2008-08-19 13:29:47

You get what you expect. Low priced, good ol' burgers most probably. No fuzz around. Not over designed. Kept as simple as peoples' habit to grab one of those. A fast and good bite. No big promises. The 'style' takes one back to the good old time when a burger was a burger. Yet it is simple and good executed with 'style' (interiour). Therefore is quite witty. --- if that is what the burger palace intended to be.

Red, bloody, fresh meat, Yes! - Why taking it so literarly? ;)
Tanja
2008-08-19 14:51:18

Remind anyone of this site logo:
http://icanhascheezburger.com/
Lotta
2008-08-19 14:51:58

Maybe it’s just me but it seems like these clients who obviously have a big budget, go to these companies like Pentagram, whose work I respect a lot,just for the famous
factor. It looks like there wasn’t much effort put into this at all and anything they did would have been accepted. I’m sure there are many smaller studios around who would have put much more thought into the project and been much more creative
yashar
2008-08-19 17:04:00

A nice exercise in justified type, or am I just being cynical?
Fritz Fitton
2008-08-20 13:55:34

Re: Lotta

Very good point!
David
2008-08-20 15:36:45

it looks pretty tacky to me. just keep thinking the only reason why anyone is even blogging about it is because pentagram did it. I know there's been a simplistic and clever design wave going on these last years, but just because it's simple doesn't mean it's good. It's a logo for a burger place for god sake, how could it be next to an architecture article?
John
2008-08-20 16:40:22

I agree that a smaller studio would have perhaps put in a lot more thought and pushed the ideas a bit further than this predictable result.

However - burger joint, or architecture - it is all about creating good design... no matter what the product.
erica
2008-08-20 17:48:05

I agree erica, but lets then agree on posting about 'good design', not predictable things that aren't really worth mentioning
John
2008-08-20 21:04:12

It's terrific. A witty, current riff on the iconic fast food graphics of the 60s and 70s. Get a sense of humour, people.
Der Senator
2008-08-20 23:05:38

It's OK but really not sure it is worthy of a CR post. Sure if it wasn't Bierut's then we wouldn't be reading about it.
Emperor Rudie
2008-08-22 05:48:41

@John: How do we agree what is 'good design'?
honest joe
2008-08-22 17:01:52

This is great, it might seem conventional and understated, but isn't thats what's great about burgers. "Tacky" not atall the logo type would be tacky if used in a gourmet restuarant, but it's not.

Pentagram know how much witt to inject into each project they do and they've hit it.

Pentagram get the opportunity to push identity's all the time - we are talking about a burger fast food restuarant - not Bergdorfs.

p.s (Simonmc) theres more to an identity then a logo.
Gaynoir
2008-08-29 17:08:28

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