DISQUS

Jane · 3 years ago

I thought the same thing the time I actually ate at a U-Gene's (it was across the street from a hotel where I was attending a conference and I didn't want to spend the money to eat at one of the hotel's restaurants). The food is pretty good, but I think a lot more people would be willing to try it if they'd hired a professional illustrator early on.

paul · 3 years ago

You know what's funny? If you had referenced any other local sub joint, chances are good that I would probably not be familiar with their identity work. But I have to say that I immediately recognized and remembered U-Gene's for all of the reasons that you mention here. Now I'm not saying that's necessarily a good thing. I also vividly remember a business card tacked to the wall of a Chinese restaurant for a local carpet cleaning service called Soprano's. Their tagline was "Badda-Bing, it's Clean!" Do I remember them? Of course. Will I ever call them? Doubtful. Maybe we should orgainize a group project to help U-Gene's. We can all submit new artwork for their identity and post it all online.

Jeremy Fuksa: Creative Genera · 3 years ago

I like this idea. I say we do it.

Success · 1 year ago

These days there are many examples of this kind of "negative branding" going on. Sometimes this kind of negative marketing can work if the aim is to sell a product or service that stops something bad happening - but a restuarant! I often wonder who is advising these business owners - or maybe it is just a rush of blood to the head from the owners themselves.

I am all for controversial marketing and new concepts but this just doesn't work. Don't they know anything about psychology and the way that we think and process images?

Graham