HiFi Kitchen
Justin turned to Plinth Agency on the eve of his 1st year anniversary to tweak his branding and upgrade his digital presence via a full brand fundamentals overhaul.
Background
Justin Foronda started HiFi Kitchen to bring pride and community to Historic Filipinotown. Justin is a nurse by trade, but he brings his take on Filipino to the table with his “Angeleno” perspective to Filipino comfort food infusing ingredients and flavors not commonly found in the motherland into Filipino classics. For example, Tocino Al Pastor or his Chicken Adobo marinade with soy and cranberries!
While the Shelter in Place ordinances in place during the first half of this project, it was even more important that his digital storefront reflects the aspirations of his food brand to better prepare the transition with opening back up for the neighborhood.
Black Eyed Pea’s member, apl.de.ap with Hifi Kitchen founder, Justin Foronda at fundraiser to benefit typhoon victims in the Philippines December 2020. Photo Credit: @sthanlee @tayo_news
Objectives
Branding fundamentals: Brand Values, Core Purpose, Tagline, and Brand Promise
Develop branding pattern for the interior of the restaurant
Create a new logo as part of its new visual identity
Create a website that matches the storefront + new branding, responsive for mobile, delivery and pick up
Strategy
Develop a more focused brand centered on defining Filipino Angelino cuisine
Communicate the energy and soulfulness of 90s hip hop and the spirit and legacy of Los Angeles’s Historic Filipinotown neighborhood.”
A responsive website that ensures efficient web order for pick up and delivery using Square and Postmates
Brand Logo
Created as a customized artwork, the Hifi Kitchen identity delivering a sense of creativity, tradition and respect for its founders roots.
Brand Pattern design
Plinth developed a new Brand Pattern for the interior of his store.
This direction is derived from the graffiti roots in hip hop.
Using layered characters that are synonymous with the Filipino Angelino aesthetic. In classic red and yellow, shell top Adida sneakers with fat laces, bag of rice, sibuyas onion, jeepney, crate of vinyls and a boombox fill the design with the Filipino sun with stars.
The color palette and wall paper pattern creates visual interest and entices your hunger.
Watch The Try Guys food tour as they take their taste buds on a journey to LA’s favorite Filipino food spots featuring HiFi Kitchen and their new interior.
Brand FUNDAMENTALS
When developing the verbal & visual identity for HiFi Kitchen, we conducted several branding exercises with Justin.
From positioning exercises so we could better understand where HiFi Kitchen lives in the landscape of the restaurant’s competitors to creating target personas that represent the behavior and motivations of their target audiences. We were able to define the brand values and core purpose to establish a solid foundation internally with the HiFi Kitchen staff and also outwardly with their customers.
The positioning and persona information guided our decision-making during the brand tagline, brand promise & design process which helped create the brand tone and copy throughout the website.
Results
A developed brand foundation & verbal identity helped position their restaurant to transition successfully during the Pandemic.
HiFi Kitchen’s smart rebranding during Pandemic strengthens and celebrates community + culture.
With good branding and smart social media strategy anything is possible. What do you have in mind?
