Pickl

Location
Global campaign

Pickl is a burger joint born in the deserts of Dubai. Inspired by the traditional operational franchise models of McDonalds or Five Guys, the brand wanted to disrupt the market by offering affordable fast food that is the highest quality, all served up with bags of swag and attitude.

Services
Strategy
Branding
Digital

The Brand

After developing the strategic positioning of ‘simple not basic’, we explored an aesthetic that was fresh in the market and authentic to the values of the product. What makes Pickl truly distinctive is its voice. With nods to skate and street, hip hop and popular culture, the brand uses wit and irreverence to speak authentically to the millennials and Gen Z’er audience.

Logo Marque

The fluid for of the lettering developed for the English logo was carefully recreated in Arabic by a local calligrapher who translated the word and helped ensure the brand culturally bedded in the emirate.

Interesting fact #01:There is no ‘P’ in the Arabic alphabet, instead the sound is replaced with a ‘B’ meaning the logo actually reads ‘Bickl’. This is also true for US drinks giant Bepsi.

For Pickl - food quality isn’t a measure, it is an absolute. Every detail matters, from the timing of the burger and the flip and press, to the flow of the restaurant. Each element has been carefully thought through to ensure every experience is legendary.

Interesting fact #02: Founder Steve started off in the kitchen, calling every customer who came in a legend. As the business grew this was adopted into social media and before long we had created a 3meter high vinyl that wraps the store front. Proving some aspects of branding come from insight, others come from recognising the truth that is already there.

Advocacy

The brand is built on advocacy and word of mouth. Using social media, influencer culture and organic engagement, the brand has built a following of 28k in only 12 months. By talking to customers on a human level and creating a challenger brand aesthetic customers themselves become the amabassador’s of Pickl.

With so much character and wit in the voice, the packaging and branding is deliberately matter of fact. Functional burger boxes that speed up production, simple trays, stickers and lining paper ensure the brand never becomes too in your face of try hard.

Location has been an incredibly important part of Pickl’s growth strategy. Not only from an operational level in order to allow complete delivery coverage across Dubai, but from a holistic perspective, feeling bedded within the culture and community was of highest priority. So you will not find Pickl in a mall or at the marina, you may however see one on the side of a mosque, or in an airstream on the outskirts of the city where the locals live.

Lino cut illustrations were developed to add texture and character to the refined menu. Used for merchandise, butter paper and uniforms, the grungy illustrative style nods to the brands that the Pickl owners grew up on, the Vans, Volcom and Santa Cruz all inspire the direction of the branding.

Lifestyle

As the brand evolves and engages customers as advocates, it continues to explore opportunities outside of the kitchen. Fashion, events and collaborations all enforce the challenger mentality and enforces the brands vision to do things differently.

At the heart of Pickl is the people. The staff are a huge part of the culture of the brand internally and celebrated across all channels. The focus on character and individuality permeates everything the team does.