jhmanigo | Holy Molli Mexican Fusion

Approach

An underdog story

The Americanized concept of Mexican food dominates the market. Many Mexican restaurants succumb and adapt. In addition, Holy Mōlli was on course to open its first location in the middle of the 2020 pandemic! Standing out was paramount. To give Holy Mōlli a viable advantage, I created a brand strategy and language that convey a soulful, authentic depiction of Mexican culture, the richness and versatility of its cuisine, Luis and Lydia’s unique sense of humor, and unexpected contemporary influences, to craft a fresh and distinctive brand personality and experience.

Approach

An underdog story

The Americanized concept of Mexican food dominates the market. Many Mexican restaurants succumb and adapt. In addition, Holy Mōlli was on course to open its first location in the middle of the 2020 pandemic! Standing out was paramount. To give Holy Mōlli a viable advantage, I created a brand strategy and language that convey a soulful, authentic depiction of Mexican culture, the richness and versatility of its cuisine, Luis and Lydia’s unique sense of humor, and unexpected contemporary influences, to craft a fresh and distinctive brand personality and experience.

Approach

An underdog story

The Americanized concept of Mexican food dominates the market. Many Mexican restaurants succumb and adapt. In addition, Holy Mōlli was on course to open its first location in the middle of the 2020 pandemic! Standing out was paramount. To give Holy Mōlli a viable advantage, I created a brand strategy and language that convey a soulful, authentic depiction of Mexican culture, the richness and versatility of its cuisine, Luis and Lydia’s unique sense of humor, and unexpected contemporary influences, to craft a fresh and distinctive brand personality and experience.

Approach

Holy goals

The strategy centered on establishing three things to get people in the door: a strong brand promise, a distinctive brand personality, an infectious call to action. If done right, the amazing food would keep people coming back.

Approach

Holy goals

The strategy centered on establishing three things to get people in the door: a strong brand promise, a distinctive brand personality, an infectious call to action. If done right, the amazing food would keep people coming back.

Approach

Holy goals

The strategy centered on establishing three things to get people in the door: a strong brand promise, a distinctive brand personality, an infectious call to action. If done right, the amazing food would keep people coming back.

Ideation

Messaging and personality

The owners, Luis and Lydia Stark, are true underdogs — dedicated to their craft, very down-to-earth, but their standout trait is their vibrant sense of humor. Inspired by Bob’s Burgers, Jack Black, and Baby Billy Freeman from The Righteous Gemstones, the brand personality is eccentric and confident with a dash of cheeky cultish evangelistic fervor! The first time I tried Holy Mōlli, I was blown away. The nomenclature reflects this. Holy Mōlli is a double entendre that represents the spiritual and culinary aspects of Aztec culture — from which the restaurant’s owners are descended — as well as an expression of the genuine surprise and delight one feels when tasting their amazing food for the first time.

Ideation

Messaging and personality

The owners, Luis and Lydia Stark, are true underdogs — dedicated to their craft, very down-to-earth, but their standout trait is their vibrant sense of humor. Inspired by Bob’s Burgers, Jack Black, and Baby Billy Freeman from The Righteous Gemstones, the brand personality is eccentric and confident with a dash of cheeky cultish evangelistic fervor! The first time I tried Holy Mōlli, I was blown away. The nomenclature reflects this. Holy Mōlli is a double entendre that represents the spiritual and culinary aspects of Aztec culture — from which the restaurant’s owners are descended — as well as an expression of the genuine surprise and delight one feels when tasting their amazing food for the first time.

Ideation

Messaging and personality

The owners, Luis and Lydia Stark, are true underdogs — dedicated to their craft, very down-to-earth, but their standout trait is their vibrant sense of humor. Inspired by Bob’s Burgers, Jack Black, and Baby Billy Freeman from The Righteous Gemstones, the brand personality is eccentric and confident with a dash of cheeky cultish evangelistic fervor! The first time I tried Holy Mōlli, I was blown away. The nomenclature reflects this. Holy Mōlli is a double entendre that represents the spiritual and culinary aspects of Aztec culture — from which the restaurant’s owners are descended — as well as an expression of the genuine surprise and delight one feels when tasting their amazing food for the first time.

Ideation

A melting pot of influences

I played around with cheeky religious undertones — what if Aztecs opened a food truck in Brooklyn, and the food was so delicious, people who ate it developed a blind cult-like devotion to it. For the logotype, that means bold, tall letterforms that signify exclamation. The stylization of the logotype is inspired by neon signage in New York bodegas/restaurants and street graffiti.

Ideation

A melting pot of influences

I played around with cheeky religious undertones — what if Aztecs opened a food truck in Brooklyn, and the food was so delicious, people who ate it developed a blind cult-like devotion to it. For the logotype, that means bold, tall letterforms that signify exclamation. The stylization of the logotype is inspired by neon signage in New York bodegas/restaurants and street graffiti.

Ideation

A melting pot of influences

I played around with cheeky religious undertones — what if Aztecs opened a food truck in Brooklyn, and the food was so delicious, people who ate it developed a blind cult-like devotion to it. For the logotype, that means bold, tall letterforms that signify exclamation. The stylization of the logotype is inspired by neon signage in New York bodegas/restaurants and street graffiti.

Ideation

Religious iconography

Animated historical depictions of the Aztec god, Tláloc, and emojis inspired the brand mark. The primary mark is an expression of shock and awe — the look of surprise on people’s faces when they bite into Luis and Lydia’s unique food blend… “HOLY MOLLI!”

Ideation

Religious iconography

Animated historical depictions of the Aztec god, Tláloc, and emojis inspired the brand mark. The primary mark is an expression of shock and awe — the look of surprise on people’s faces when they bite into Luis and Lydia’s unique food blend… “HOLY MOLLI!”

Ideation

Religious iconography

Animated historical depictions of the Aztec god, Tláloc, and emojis inspired the brand mark. The primary mark is an expression of shock and awe — the look of surprise on people’s faces when they bite into Luis and Lydia’s unique food blend… “HOLY MOLLI!”

Implementation

The campaign

The introductory campaign highlights the promise made to its patrons, showcased through vibrant, high-contrast, textured, and captivating images of some of Holy Molli’s most popular dishes, presented in high-resolution, mouthwatering detail.

Implementation

The campaign

The introductory campaign highlights the promise made to its patrons, showcased through vibrant, high-contrast, textured, and captivating images of some of Holy Molli’s most popular dishes, presented in high-resolution, mouthwatering detail.

Implementation

The campaign

The introductory campaign highlights the promise made to its patrons, showcased through vibrant, high-contrast, textured, and captivating images of some of Holy Molli’s most popular dishes, presented in high-resolution, mouthwatering detail.