Modistalgic: 2013

Let me know what you guys think of this.

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When the Waffle House campaign started the company was in desperate need for an overhaul. They had failed not only in retaining a contemporary aesthetic, but had also fallen short in providing customers with a satisfactory experience in-store. It was vital that they improve their overall identity to ensure a positive future for themselves.

While it was temping for us to completely change everything about the brand, we also understood that regardless of Waffle House’s social perception they still had a dedicated following that had to be considered. Keeping this in mind we examined the existing Waffle House branding, taking the very few elements of their style that worked and merged them with a few fresh ideas.

When we first began we noticed that Waffle House seemed to take great pride in their “Retro” feel. It also became evident that to a certain extent Waffle House appeared to be a corporate attempt at making a chain diner much like Denny’s and IHOP. So, we took the retro diner feel and modernized it, giving it traces of the retro aesthetic with the cleanliness and minimalistic nature of modern design.

Regardless of the few acceptable traits, there were several substandard elements embedded in the Waffle House brand DNA that had to be omitted during the re-branding process. The largest portion of the previous designs that had to go was the overall feeling and layout of the restaurants themselves. This is a part of the company that appeared to be universally disliked by customers. It seemed out of date, out of touch, and showed the companies lack of investment in keeping the brand interesting.

Because of the insufficiencies, we completely changed the appearance of both the interior and exterior while retaining the same overall layout (i.e. bar seats, and booths along the side, etc). It was also determined that a refinement of the color scheme, website, and logo should take place. Starting with color we altered Waffle House’s original yellow into a softer hue more reminiscent of a mustard or gold. This new color also resembled the way a waffle looked when cooked. To support it, we added several grey tones to the palette to provide a neutral base from which the gold could be contained by. Alongside the aforementioned, the website, smartphone app, and menu also experienced a complete overhaul. Each of these had previously featured design that was embarrassingly out of date and not consistent with the Waffle House brand. As with the s, we applied our new color scheme and our modernist-retro aesthetic, adding a much-needed consistency to the brand.

Following what we had already done in terms of remodeling or altering, a series of new elements to the brand were incorporated to assist it in expanding its reach to newer and younger audiences. We needed to communicate to this demographic that Waffle House was capable of staying in touch and catering to their needs.

The first idea we came across was for a Waffle House food truck. A recent study discovered that 59% of American adults say that they would visit a food truck if their favorite restaurant offered one. The incorporation of the truck was essential in the process of creating a new consumer base for the company, especially when that population is urbanizing in increased rates. To comply with the guidelines we had established as to how we wanted to rebrand the company, we used a vintage bus and converted it to serve our purposes. Thus, the “Waffle Truck” was born.

We also placed installations in high traffic areas of cities to spread awareness of the new and improved Waffle House. It communicates alongside the other various elements in the rebranding a new message to consumers that Waffle House is committed to providing an experience that will leaving them wanting more.