Michigan’s best burger joint
Halo Burger is on a path to become Michigan’s premier QSR brand. But change can be hard, especially for an almost-100-year-old brand with deep roots in a tightly knit community. The Halo team tapped us to bring freshness and scalability to the iconic chain while keeping its nostalgic, mom-and-pop feel intact.
From a new logo to fresh food photography to updated brand messaging, we overhauled Halo Burger’s entire public face to win the hearts of fans old and new.
Modern-day nostalgia
We reinvigorated Halo Burger’s beloved brand image, honoring the past with a side of fresh updates. The logo received a major makeover, complete with an approachable, vintage-y script, a star that acts as a signifier of excellence, and the halo—a key element of the brand since the 1960s.
We built up the visual identity up from there, maintaining the brand’s classic red while introducing black and hints of gold to drive home a tongue-in-cheek play on “heavenly” food experiences.
Folksy fresh
We knew Halo Burger would shine in a crowded QSR market by embracing its Michigan heritage and Midwestern grit. Along with a pleasingly hyperbolic new tagline, “Michigan’s best burger since 1923,” we developed a folksy, friendly brand voice with messaging to match.
After overhauling Halo Burger’s brand foundation, we designed tons of new collateral and touchpoints: POP banners, swag, menu boards, promotional campaigns, email templates, and even a food truck!
The results
Halo Burger’s new identity instantly sparked increased brand loyalty, positive press, and employee satisfaction. In addition to enjoying rave reviews from the design community, the company’s leadership was empowered to make brave business decisions knowing their brand was fully aligned with operational goals.
One of our most tangible strategic successes was “Receipt n’ Repeat.” Over the course of the campaign’s two-month lifespan, as many as 24.5% more customers ate at specific Halo Burger locations, with a daily average increase of 6.5% more customers across all their restaurants.
From their early concepts to the final brand, Skidmore blew us away with their creativity and thoughtfulness. It was surprising how much they cared about the business side of things—how to make the whole operation more successful.
—Chance Richie, Owner
