Sacramento THE
STORY
FROM NEAR OBSCURITY TO CELEBRATED REJUVENATION
Chapters ENTREE
MAINS
FOREWORD
5
BREATHING NEW LIFE
12 - 15
THAT DAY IN 1919.
7
A GREAT AMERICAN BRAND
16 - 19
THE ICON. A&W
8
THE REJUVENATION
20 - 41
THE "YUM" YEARS
9
SURGING AHEAD
42 - 55
SWEET TREATS STRATEGIES
58 - 59
COLLATERALS
60 - 69
EXPERIENCES
70 - 79
1601 Del Paso Blvd, Sacramento, California
ENTREE Foreword | That Day in 1919 | The Icon, A&W | The "Yum" Years
Foreword Throughout our long history, A&W has had our fair share of ups and downs, almost driven to the point of near obscurity.
However today, we are more committed than ever to grow the brand, forging new relationships and strengthening existing ones as we move ahead and continue to deliver great quality all-American food and dining experience.
5 |Â ENTREE
ENTREE
"We all have memories, mostly fond memories at A&W, be it hanging out after a football game, or having a first date" DALE MULDER CHAIRMAN, A&W
6 |Â ENTREE
That Day in 1919. June 20th, 1919. On that historic day Roy W. Allen opened his first road-side root beer stand using the root beer recipe which he perfected, which would later go on to become the iconic A&W beverage that is adored by people the world over today.
It wasn’t until 1923 that together with partner Frank Wright, the first A&W drive-in restaurant opened in Sacramento, California, providing the every man like you and I with great tasting, mouthwatering All-American comfort food.
7 | ENTREE
ENTREE
The Icon, A&W We are so much more than a place for a frosty mug of Root Beer and a great meal of burgers and waffles. It's a place for social gatherings, even a place where one would meet a potential life partner.
We are the ALL-AMERICAN franchise, a brand that reaches back across generations, creating lasting fond memories which has become a synonymous and timeless tradition, and we achieve that by embodying the spirit of friendliness as the center of what we do.
8 |Â ENTREE
Without a doubt, we are bound to have made
The "YUM" Years
some bad decisions at some point in our lives. That's just human nature. Ours came during our time under the management of YUM Brands.
With all the co-locating, sub-par dispenser rootbeer and franchisee disarray, we were driven to the point of near obscurity and irrelevance. Leaving this dark chapter behind, there could not be a better time for us to set a new course of direction to secure a more sustainable future.
The catalyst for a re-think.
9 | ENTREE
MAINS Breathing New Life
A Great American Brand
The Rejuvenation
Surging Ahead
"How do we maintain the existing consumer base, whilst at the same time appealing to a younger, more modern & hip crowd? That's the challenge." KEVIN BAZNER CEO, A&W
11 | Mains
Breathing New Life Are we still relevant?
"People come up to us if they see us outside saying they want us to succeed, and to build the chain back.. That inspires us to move forward." Sarah Blasi Marketing Director, A&W
13 | Breathing New Life
MAINS
What You Said "There is something about an A&W burger and a root beer that makes it taste better than other fast food places." "On a hot day,
"Better than
there are few things
Mcd's next
better than a frosty mug
door. No lines
of root beer
there"
or a root beer float.."
"Best root beer in the world. Period."
THE COMMENTS ABOVE ARE NOT FAKED IN ANY WAY. WE DON'T DO FAKE.
14 | Breathing New Life
The World's Rooting For Us (pun intended!)
15 |Â Breathing New Life
A Great American Brand
"Restaurant trends may come and go, but comfort foods are forever." TRAVEL & LEISURE MAGAZINE
18 | A Great American Brand
Embodying the American Spirit We are patriotic by nature,
Curb service, where a fast food
and has been supporting
restaurant employee delivers food
war veterans throughout
from the restaurant to waiting
the course of our history.
customers outside in their cars,
In fact, the Root Beer was
started as a novelty at an A&W Root
served at a homecoming
Beer shop in the 1920s but was so
ceremony during World
popular the practice spread
War 1.
nationwide in short order. By the 1940s, the friendly carhop person delivering the food to the cars had gone mobile, too, wearing roller skates to speed service.
19 |Â A Great American Brand
The Rejuvenation
"It's important that we don't get distracted by the latest trend or craze, instead staying true to the core and essence of the brand" Kevin Bazner CEO, A&W
21Â | The Rejuvenation
MAINS
Sometimes it takes a good fall to really know where we stand
Digging Deep You can definitely bet on the fact that we're not going to waste this opportunity to re-establish ourselves as a pioneer in this industry.
WE HELP YOU GET WHAT YOUÂ NEED IN LIFE.
MAINS
Sentiments word on the street
"On the one hand, don’t massively change, but rather a refresh, rejuvenate. Since A&W is reintroducing itself, it has the opportunity to re-establish as the all-American (the Mecca of fast food) brand. People are expecting a vision of their childhood memories. If it doesn’t look like what they remember, they won’t give a f***. I would in face market its heritage. Tap on its history and celebrate it. Remember how A&W outlets would have jukeboxes? Modernisation is such a trap though."
MUHAMMAD AFFIQ, 24 INTERNAIONAL RELATIONS GRADUATE
24 | The Rejuvenation
"I remember patronizing long ago. My favorites were the root beer and the coney dog. Another thing I remembered was their great service. I prefer their initial look. It made them the class when compared to current fast food outlets. You don’t see this often anymore. Currently most fast food outlets are so generic, It’s not captivating at all. A&W was the first fast-food here and therefore should reinforce that fact more."
Delly Osman, 52 Administrative Executive
25 | The Rejuvenation
The Young Generation Roping in a new segment
26Â | The Rejuvenation
Shaping The Future with our past and heritage
27Â |Â The Rejuvenation
MAINS
INDULGING American comfort food. Need we say more? Burgers, waffles, fried chicken, hot dogs, these are the simple pleasures in life that lifts our spirits up.
O
Go on. It's ok to indulge.
M 28Â | The Rejuvenation
ALL AMERICAN The A&W experience will be one that provides our customers a glimpse or window into American diner and comfort food culture, harking you to good ol' Americana.
VINTAGE We have 98 years of history. We were the first fast food operations in America, and indeed some parts of the world too. All our cherished memories and milestones will be more prominently featured in our new communication campaign.
D CHARISMATIC
O
We don't want to be just another fast-food joint or establishment that you patronize because you have to. Nope. We want to be part of your life, a place where you connect and belong to emotionally.
29Â | The Rejuvenation
MAINS
B I G I D E A
30 | The Rejuvenation
Encapsulating Heritage for The New Age This rebranding exercise will attempt to capture the attention of the "Millennials"Â as well as serving as a reminder to the Boomers" by reinforcing A&W's illustrious heritage & American=ness through a captivating way of showcasing its relevance and impact in popular culture.
31Â | The Rejuvenation
MAINS
Fun Facts veteran friendly
1963
39
the year we invented the Bacon Cheeseburger
weeks shelf live
1
6/8
hour brewing process
National Root Beer Float Day
32Â | The Rejuvenation
sassafras is the original ingredient.
the root beer was nicknamed "Brown Cow"
"Rooty" the great root bear became the mascot in 1974.
16 a glass of root beer only costs 5 cents. a nickel!
roots and herbs make up the root beer
33Â | The Rejuvenation
MAINS
The Promise of Belonging encompassing everyone
Innocent
34 | The Rejuvenation
The Regular Guy
Del Paso Manifesto We are a brand that one can identify and connect with emotionally, a place where you can be proud of the fact that you belong to the A&W family, We embody what is good about America. We are unashamedly patriotic. We encompass inclusivity. A place where generations young and old can get together and create memories that will last a lifetime. Everything is based on truth, as a mark and nod to our heritage and authenticity.
35 | The Rejuvenation
Across generations
36Â | The Rejuvenation
37Â | The Rejuvenation
Forging new relationships
38 | The Rejuvenation
39 | The Rejuvenation
Reaffirming existing ones
40 | The Rejuvenation
41 | The Rejuvenation
42 | Surging AheadÂ
Surging Ahead 43 | Surging Ahead
MAINS
Long time coming...
Part of the rebranding exercise involves a re-entry and expansion into several markets we exited, like Southeast Asia, in particular Singapore for instance. It's been far too long. 15 years to be exact, since we left. It seems opportune then that we are coming back stronger than ever, rejuvenated and more than ready to send you down memory lane. See the above picture? Who could forget the A&W Riverboat at Sentosa?.
44 | Surging AheadÂ
45 | Surging Ahead
MAINS
DIS CUS SIONS
It is imperative that we engage and understand in-depth the opinions and suggestions of the intended target audience in order to outline the target persona and chart the best course of action moving forward.
46 | Surging Ahead
Target Personas
"The Reminisce" Living at a time without internet or social media in the 70s, a dining experience at A&W provided her curious kids a glimpse or a slice of Americana.
"The Curious Cat" Having not experienced A&W locally before, he's excited at the prospect of tasting the evergreen Root Beer and also getting a slice of Americana at the same time!
47 | Surging Ahead
MAINS
Potential Personas
48 | Surging Ahead
Delly Osman, 52 admin executive
I remember going to A&W as a student and was attracted to the family concept of the outlet as well as their outstanding service. But mostly, I was really attracted to its overall nostalgic American feeling, with their drive-thru and all. That's their genuinity. That is something that youngsters nowadays don't get to experience, and I think that aspect should be made more prominent.
retro, but relevant I want to be brought back to the good old days. You know, I don't really get excited by any fast food these days. All their advertisements look the same, it just doesn't tug your heartstrings.
"What you see, hear, touch and of course taste should just scream nostalgia" I genuinely believe that it is their Americanness and heritage that will set them apart from their competition and I do hope they succeed.
Even for their new outlets, I want to feel like I am actually in a diner!
49Â |Â Surging Ahead
MAINS
Zulaikha, 26 preschool educator
It's sure been a long time coming and I am genuinely excited for their return. And who can forget that Root Beer bear? However, I do think that A&W could use a refresh. The current logo, while it has its sentimental value, it just looks dull, plain jane, it's not vibrant.
normality is out of the equation. They should proudly showcase their American heritage and nostalgia, they were the pioneers in this industry. As a youngster, I will be really interested to
"I want to see originality. I know A&W has a lot of it, and they should put it across"
hang out at a place that's different. If I wanted something normal, I'll just go to
Portray those in their new advertising. Ads
McDonald's or KFC or whatever. Those
from other fast foods are just so boring, I don't
are just generic, and boring too. There's
even stop to look at them. I just want to feel
just no emotional connection at all.
like I'm at somewhere special with my experiences with A&W. And bring back the riverboat HAHA.
50 | Surging AheadÂ
Gregory Isaac, 25 psychology science undergraduate The thing about brands making a comeback is that it has to do so with a lasting impression. I believe that A&W has the history and heritage to really differentiate themselves from their competition. We as consumers have become too habitual with the idea of regular fast food, so much so that we don't even pay much attention to it right now, so it's time for something different.
update, not out-of-date. With regards to the logo, especially for a brand coming back, you have to
"We've become too habitual with the idea of regular fast food, so it's time for something different"
have like a trademark, for A&W in this
Nostalgia sells. Definitely. I want to be
instance is the oval shape.Â
transported to an era or a time where everything is carefree. So it's an eclectic mix
However, there should be like a
of the young and old.
Version 2.0, adjustments and tweaks being made to the logo without ruining its original appeal.
51 |Â Surging Ahead
MAINS
From out-of-date
A
Oval shape still serves as a point of identification for A&W.
C 52Â | Surging AheadÂ
B
typeface can be subtly tweaked and modernised.
current colours described as dull by target audience
to up-to-date
A
Oval shape has been retained, albeit tweaked to give it more dynamism and a less cluttered feel, without making the main typeface "trapped".
C
B
A more vibrant shade of orange and brown gives the new logo a modern vintage look.
a bolder italicised typeface was chosen for the main logo to symbolise strength and prominence, whilst a more sophisticated one was used for the tagline which gives a modern vibe.
53Â |Â Surging Ahead
MAINS
Typeface / Colour palette for new logo The older shade of orange which was described as dull has been spruced up to this version which has more vibrancy.
R: 239 G: 93 B: 34
A darker shade of brown was also utilised to complement and give a contrast to the vibrant orange.
R: 106 G: 61 B: 24
Kelvinized New typeface for main logo is wider and bolder. It shows strength but still retains a vintage vibe.
54 | Surging Ahead
Lemon/Milk This typeface was chosen for the tagline for its minimalism and clarity. It is crisp, modern and clearly legible.
Alternate Version
Black & White version for use against dark or pale coloured backdrops.
Typeface / Colour palette for brand book
League Spartan
Lato Heavy
Raleway
used for Chapter Headings
used for Section Headings / page titles
used for body text
#fcc269
#000000
55 | Surging Ahead
Sweet Treats Strategies
56 | Sweet Treats
Collaterals
Experience
57 | Sweet Treats
SWEET TREATS
BRAND
STRATEGY
sight
smell
taste
hear
Sensory-driven
touch
EMOTIONAL BRANDING Sensory-driven emotional branding emphasises the emotional interaction within the consumption process.
58 | Strategies
COMMUNICATION
STRATEGY R
O
T
A
T E
Visual-Verbal
SYNERGY This happens when the main image and headline work together to communicate the message. In such a composition, all other graphic elements are subordinate to the synergistic relationship between the main image and the headline.
59Â |Â Strategies
Collaterals 60 |Â Collaterals
61 |Â Collaterals
SWEET TREATS
02 01
Word play with regards to Singapore's National Day also being in August
Cheeky play on the concept of happy hour without getting drunk.
62 | Collaterals
Showcasing A&W's patriotism and continued support for war veterans
03
04 event poster playing on the lovability of Rooty despite the connection of the orange colour between Rooty and halloween.
MODERN
05
SERIES
event poster promoting an American swing music event taking place at the flagship dinerette.
63 | Collaterals
SWEET TREATS
02 01
Since 1919 heritage advert featuring the root beer throughout A&W's history
03 64 | Collaterals
Since 1919 heritage advert featuring the root beer throughout A&W's history
Black & white ad with nostalgic quote and monotone logo.
04 Nostalgic ad featuring the long history of the Root Beer.
HERITAGE
05
SERIES
Nostalgic ad featuring the collaboration between A&W and music artistes
65 | Collaterals
SWEET TREATS
1
modern series advertising on electronic screen 66 | Collaterals
2
The writer can also give facts and detailed information following answers to general questions like who, what, when, where, why and how.
heritage series advertising on electronic screen 67Â |Â Collaterals
SWEET TREATS
3
unconventional advertising at park connector. 68 | Collaterals
4
The writer can also give facts and detailed information following answers to general questions like who, what, when, where, why and how.
heritage advertising on platform screen doors 69 | Collaterals
Experiences
SWEET TREATS
1 4
3 2
Dinerette
2
1
High californian palm trees for a boulevard feel.
4
3
Carpark with electric car charging stations.
72 | Experiences
Outdoor al-fresco patio style dining area,
Ample bicycle racks.
3 1
4
2
2
1
Feature wallpaper at ordering area.
4
American diner style furniture with soft cushion comfort.
3
Modern ads add a touch of humour.
Heritage posters evoke nostalgia.
73Â |Â Experiences
SWEET TREATS
Dinerette Uniform Mock-up
Vintage style uniforms in the signature A&W orange evoke nostalgia and adds to the American diner vibe of the flagship Dinerette. Even though it may appear retro on the outside, it's thoroughly modern as it'll be manufactured out of a breathable cotton blend to ensure comfort for the wearer.
74 | Experiences
Collaboration
In the US, A&W outlets are a popular venue for hot rod gatherings. This can be replicated here through a collaboration between the flagship Dinerette and car enthusiast groups like OfficialSecs. The Dinerette can serve as a safe, fun and landmark venue for gatherings organised by them.
75Â |Â Experiences
SWEET TREATS
Touch Points
Digital Nostalgia Rock'n'Roll, Motown, Easy Listening, Country. Strike the right chord at the Dinerette with this decidedly retro but thoroughly modern jukebox. With an intuitive touch screen interface, this little baby offers the best of American music, from The Beach Boys to Elvis Presley.
76 | Experiences
Burgers
77Â |Â Experiences
SWEET TREATS
New website design
Landing page
Gallery
78 | Experiences
Feedback page
for better clarity
Menu features
Menu features
Menu features
79Â |Â Experiences
80 | Experiences
SPECIAL THANKS: MENTORS Keith Tan Terence Yeung Will Kolen
FOCUS GROUP PARTICIPANTS Delly Osman Gregory Issac Muhammad Afiq Zulaikha Zainiddin
IMAGES A&W Media Centre Pinterest Flickr MrFoodJournal
PRINTING True Colours Print
CHIEF EDITOR Zulkarnain Zainiddin
and to all who participated in one way or another in making this book possible.