Monday 7 July 2014

In Meat We Trust

Burger Republic – Delicious Brand Work







I’ve been working with Shelley of ASHA Design to help come up with a new, authentic brand look and feel for the lovely peeps at Burger Republic.

Having worked with all kinds of businesses – some really very big, others pretty small and every kind in-between - I know that each has their own vision and their own way to achieve it. It might be to compete on price or to focus on service. In almost every case people want to talk about quality.

When that quality is already evident in every respect, you know you’re going to get a great result. It’s not that it makes my job easier. It makes it more enjoyable.  You’re starting from a higher bar, with people who have already invested in their business. And so you can quickly go beyond establishing quality to living and breathing it. Having fun with it. The kind of fun that their customers will immediately warm to.






Working with people like this is fab. They have a stronger, clearer vision and with that they’re open to bigger, better ideas. Their business or product or service already stands apart from the competition so it’s a lovely and fun job to elevate it even more.

Everything just seems to fall into place.

It helps that Shelley’s a fantastic designer. That Burger Republic know how to – with the help of McGreevy’s Butchers – put together a burger that’s far superior to any other you’re ever tasted, and that all together, we could quickly see the kind of direction that would excite customers and put together the look and tone that really bring the Republic's commitment to great street food to life.

For Burger Republic, we produced the Pledge to set the tone and inform the design which runs across all collateral, from menus to t-shirts.










Tasty.


Follow Burger Republic on Twitter @inmeatwetrust and find a new friend on Facebook

Hardcore design geeks can see more on Behance






Burger Republic isn’t just a superior patty. It’s a place.

Burger Republic is a country on the move in more ways than one: you’ll find our 1964 Airstream Overlander wherever people of great taste gather to listen to good music, shop ‘til they drop or just chill with friends.  

Burger Republic is also fast-forwarding the story of the ultimate fast-food: from its roots in the 19th century through the swinging '60s to the present day.

We’re bringing bland burgers back to life, starting with our own recipe gourmet hamburgers, grilled to perfection, with delicious dressing, sauces and beautiful bread.

The President and First Lady of Burger Republic commissioned their own master butcher to produce particular patties of 100% Irish beef. And you can be assured every single ingredient is just as fresh, local wherever possible and selected only for superior taste and flavour.

Hungry? Satisfaction is on the menu.
 
Welcome to gourmet hamburger country.

Where lovers of good hamburgers live life to the full.

Tuesday 25 February 2014

Big Brands & One Man Bands.

Everyone I've ever written for. Well, most of them.

Putting together a wee talk about what I do for the U of U meant making a wee list of everyone I've ever written for. It's a long list. Not everyone's on there. But it's kind of made me wonder. I can pretty much remember what I did for each of them, big jobs and small. 

And it's made me think about who I what to work for and what I want to write for them in the future.

Generally, that means writing less, better, for people who know that's a good way to go.

Anyway, have a gander. See anyone you know?

Anderson Advertising (now ASG), Dixons Stores Group (Dixons/Currys/PC World), Logica, Barclays Bank, Lloyds TSB, RBS, GCHQ, Stena Line, Gerber Juice, Belfast Telegraph, Ennsikillen Hotel, Charles Hurst, Bristol NHS Trust, Central Manchester Children’s Hospital, Irwin’s, NIFRS, Visit Belfast, Navigator Blue, AV Browne, BT, Think RLA, Porter Dodson, Harry Corry, Titanic Belfast, Creative Media, The Cleaning Doctor, Ovo Energy, Endsleigh, thomsonlocal, destinationskin, Bath Building Society, Cheltenham & Gloucester, Stewarts Wine Barrel, Ford, Jaguar, Honda, Barnardos, Burger King, The Web Bureau,  Southern Water, Aardman Animation, Screwfix, Makro, Diageo, Welcome Break, Lusty Beg Island, Learning Pool, Pink Squid, FeatherBrooksbank, 5x5 People, ThrityThree, DNA, Yellow Comms, WORK, RIFT, Clarks, The National Trust, NFU Mutual, Siemens, LV, Argento, Subway, Deanes, Titanic Belfast, Forestside, WH Smith, Tesco, Morrisons, Manchester Airports Group, The Soundhouse, B&Q, MaxiZoo, DuPont, FIRST Group, TMP Worldwide, Adipose Clinic, RIFT Tax Refunds, Monsoon Accessorize, Afro-Mic Productions.

Thursday 6 February 2014

“Does my bum look big in this?”

There was me and the Internet (the Internet and I) having a chat and he (? for talk’s sake) came out with it...

The question every woman dreads. How do you answer that truthfully, without lying (obvs), trying to be constructive and in the interests of helping us all move a little further towards being our best selves?

The thing is, I really like the Internet. We haven’t said the L word yet but there’s a good chance that’s on the cards.

If we can just get this damn bottom thing out of the way.

So, because I really like the Internet and I want to grow our relationship, I delicately said:

“You have the biggest fucking ass I’ve ever seen. In fact, at times, you are the biggest fucking ass I’ve ever met. Your ass is out of control. Sometimes, when we’re having a nice time, and I get lost in the moment and inadvertently scroll down, I look at your ass and it scares the complete bejaysus out of me.”

And the Internet looked at me with a modicum of sadness but mostly understanding, for which I was grateful, and said “But the song: fat bottomed girls make the rocking world go round.”

Which made me smile a sympathetic smile.

“Not fat bottomed girls with huge festering boily buttocks like yours. All red and angry and ready to erupt at any moment. Your bottom half is rude and pushy, uninformed and it can’t spell. It’s reactionary and selfish with a small world view. A lot of the time, it’s an out and out troll. It contradicts itself and is utterly contrary. It has no sense of humour and is hell bent on self-destruction. But worst of all, its full of its own self-importance, thinking its little brain farts of half thought out ideas are actually worth the paper they’re printed on.”

“Ah now. Come on. That’s unfair. You’re really only talking about the comments section in the Daily Mail and the Belfast Telegraph. I’m not responsible for what people write on my bottom half.”

“That’s as maybe. But you do facilitate it.”

“Hang on: are you pro-censorship?”

That pissed me off no end.

“How fucking dare you! Just keep your big fat wobbly smelly bottom out of my face.”

“No problem.”

And we had a quiet moment.    
  
And the Internet sent me a cat meme. And I smiled and said:

“Sometimes your ass is funny though. And on the rare occasions it tries to be funny and succeeds? Well, those moments are to be treasured.”

Anyway, overall, the Internet took it well. It has a thick skin. Especially on it's bottom. And me and the Internet (the Internet and I) agreed that here, at LouRoo.com, where it’s just me and the Internet, he would control his (? for talk’s sake) bottom, keeping it under wraps and ELSEWHERE AT ALL TIMES.

So, you’ll find no bottom half of the Internet here, but that doesn’t mean you have no right to reply. If you really take offence or want to troll me, you’ll have to learn how to spell, think through your argument rationally and constructively and maybe tweet me (@louroohq) or Facebook me (https://www.facebook.com/louroocopy) or email me.

The important thing is me and the Internet is still strong.


Here’s to you, Internet, you legend. Bottoms up.