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InspirationGraphic Design

Ragged Edge fries up a brand identity for London's first gourmet crisps restaurant

Integrated branding agency Ragged Edge has developed a bold brand and visual identity for Hipchips, London’s first gourmet crisps restaurant, which launched in Soho this month.

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Via Creative Boom submission. All images courtesy of Ragged Edge

Via Creative Boom submission. All images courtesy of Ragged Edge

Delivering the brand positioning and strategy alongside a visual and verbal identity, the agency then brought the brand to life through packaging and signage, helping the trailblazing new eatery achieve stand-out in the capital's ultra-competitive food scene.

Hipchips is the first of its kind. It cooks crisps on site using unusual heritage potato varieties and pairs them with an innovative range of fresh dips, from Peruvian Ceviche right through to Salted Caramel. Customers can dine in with a beer, or take them away in sharing boxes.

Ragged Edge’s brand strategy was designed to allow the restaurant to transform Britain’s best-loved snack from a predictable staple into a gourmet shared food experience. The brand idea – ‘Fresh Traditions’ – brought this to life by playfully reinterpreting British rituals, design and food for a millennial audience.

The visual identity references the origins of crisps – which first rose to popularity in the 1830s – by using two traditional British typefaces: Thorowgood Sans and Kings Caslon. But while the choice of typefaces references tradition, their treatment is unmistakably contemporary.

The colour palette features a classic red, combined with a very modern set of supporting colours. Iconography includes a traditional British pinstripe given a 45-degree twist. And instead of packets, the crisps are served up in a variety of eye-catching sharing boxes. Tone of voice is unquestionably British, but not afraid to tell it like it is. Personality is conveyed via messages such as ‘Dip for victory’ and ‘One does not double dip’.

Max Ottignon, Co-Founder, Ragged Edge, said: “Britain makes its way through six billion packets of crisps a year, that’s 150 packets a person. There was obviously a big opportunity here, but innovation had been pretty limited. By reinventing crisps as a gourmet sharing experience, we were confident we could tap into a millennial audience, hungry for new rituals and Instagram-worthy moments.

"We believed that by building an experience into every element of the brand, we could give Hipchips real cut through. The end result is a disruptive, premium brand with substance derived from its powerful quality story."

The flagship Hipchips restaurant opened this month at 49 Old Compton Street, Soho.

Hipchips storefront at number 49 with black signage, striped awning and illuminated windows displaying the gourmet crisps restaurant interior
Black background with white text reading "Fresh Traditions" and "Our Brand Idea" above descriptive copy about Hipchips' heritage potato varieties and fresh dips concept
Hipchips logo in large white sans-serif type on black background, flanked by "Fresh Crisps" and "Fresh Dips" text on either side
Hand reaching towards a Hipchips branded box filled with gourmet crisps, surrounded by small cups of colourful dips on a table
Collection of Hipchips branded packaging and promotional materials displayed on a wooden table against a tiled wall, featuring bold typography and a red, yellow and blue colour palette
Menu for Hipchips gourmet crisps restaurant showing "Potatoes: This is Your Time" headline and ordering sections
Hipchips website displayed on a MacBook showing gourmet crisps and dips with the tagline "Potatoes. This is your time." against a red background
Colour palette cards for Hipchips branding featuring bold typography on red, pink, cream and green backgrounds
Collection of Hipchips brand collateral featuring playful typography and bold colour palette on wood surface
Hipchips brand identity materials spread on a wooden surface, including letterheads and documents with bold typography, red diagonal stripes and pink accents
Hipchips brand identity materials including letterhead, business cards and colour palette samples with red, black and grey displayed on wooden surface
Stack of Hipchips branded boxes in white, pink and brown displayed on a wooden table with patterned wallpaper in the background
Two smiling Hipchips staff members wearing white chef hats and black aprons work together in the restaurant's kitchen with tiled walls
Interior of Hipchips restaurant showing the counter with staff preparing food, red display cases, pendant lighting, dining area with booths, and contemporary tilework throughout the space
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