Big Joe's BBQ

Big Joe's BBQ

Jonathan of Big Joe's BBQ has a passion for food and family. We had the pleasure of sitting down with him and his wife to hear about his vision for his sauce. 

"He comes from a family of 16," said Mrs. Cromity and I almost spit out my latte. Sixteen?! This soft spoken country gentleman comes from a bustling house full of family. Where getting a seat and keeping it on Thanksgiving can be a true skill. He learned about food and how to stir in the love from his grandmother, and went on to become a chef in his own right creating these amazing sauces and rubs for his family and friends. Now, it's time to bring that passion to the masses.

They were looking for something bold and modern. They had seen and studied all the other bottles of BBQ sauce, and they were all red, black, and similar. They wanted a bottle that would stand out on the shelves but still make you feel hungry when you saw it. So I got to work, and I threw him a curveball. "What about having your face on the bottle?"

They had been mulling over putting a photo of his grandfather on the bottle, but Mr Cromity was Big Joe, and the public needed to meet him. So I had him go home and send me some photos of himself. 

That's all I needed, to craft our winning idea. But all clients get 3 designs when they book us for logos, unless they already have a design idea and just need us to put it together.

This is option one. It featured the kraft paper feel that Mrs Cromity was looking for with a punch of orange to give it a little color. This was our take on an old western style with bolder coloring.

Big Joe's Option 1

Next we got a little loopy and turned the color knob to Miami Vice, and Miami Subs for those of us who remember the old Miami Subs on McPherson Church Road. Bright yellow orange, blue, turquoise, and of course orange with a splash of soft pink. Okay, hear me out, it would stop a customer in their tracks and definitely stand out on a shelf though. We kept the font big just like the flavor and Big Joe himself. 

Big Joe's Option 2

And, to be honest, we knew this one was the one when we made it. We knew it so deep in our souls we actually got really into it and created a pattern to go inside of boxes and on tablecloths and napkins. We could see this brand on everything. We of course kept that orange punch but slid in emerald green and a burgundy to represent the bourbon. Essentially adding zest and color to the western color scheme we started with. And yes, that is his face right there on the logo.

Big Joe's Final Selection

The face took time, and I hand sketched it in my notebook before I brought it into Adobe Illustrator to build on it. 

Big Joe's Sketch

I also sketched all the little elements that we added to the different flavors

Big Joe Logo Sketches

They were so in love and excited about their brand new logo, and we printed them a set of business cards and 2 table runners for their first "branded" vending event. The items came right on time, and they recieved loads of compliements. I'm just thrilled I could be a part of this! So when you see Big Joe in Walmart or Whole Foods in a few years, remember you saw it here first!