Design Bridge New York unveils new identity for hot dog shop

Global design agency, Design Bridge New York, unveiled a new brand identity for Crif Dogs, the Manhattan-based hot dog spot.

Crif Dogs’ previous brand identity relied too much on easy, immature humour. To stay relevant, the brand aimed at embracing its status as a New York City icon. The hot dog spot is used as the access for the speakyeasy bar, Please Don’t Tell (PDT). The physical space of the shop also needed to be reimagined to reflect the true identity of the business. Design Bridge worked on creating a new logo and full interior redesign to help the brand retain and grow its audience fanbase.

The brand’s new irreverent spirit was reflected not only in the new tagline ‘Frankly the best,’ but also in the street photography that captures people and places of NYC. Playful doodles in mustard yellow and ketchup red were overlaid to the photography to further enhance the product at the heart of the business. The ‘DIY’ street artist vibe was conceived as a wider metaphor for the way the city works: never finished, always in a state of play.

“We wanted to create a brand identity that employees and customers could have fun with. Our simple black and white logo is just the starting point—it’s the ketchup and mustard doodles that bring the brand to life and keep it constantly changing and relevant. The doodle system also works tactically in the kitchen—orders can be circled on menus or names written on hot dog bags,” says Marlee Bruning, design director at Design Bridge New York.

The look and feel for the typography and logo marks were inspired by classic New York signage, from hotdog carts to bodegas to the ‘mom and pop shops' dotted throughout the Lower East Side.

“By expressing the brand’s spirit in a grown-up style, we’ve successfully revived a New York institution and helped Crif Dogs reclaim its iconic status,” says Mike Perry, creative director at Design Bridge New York.