// LOGO
SEC. 01 OF 04
The marriage of "Urban" & "Carnivore" in logo form accentuates (with little subtlety) who we intend to cater to. The concept of ransom letter is not uniquely 'urban', but it's physical presence & textured, disjointed form directly parallels with the gritty, inclusive and diverse energy of urban life and it's rebellious undertones.
The typography of "Carnivore" represents what exists inside of every meat-eater. Just because we're city-slickers instead of country bumpkins doesn't mean we don't have that same animalistic urge to bite into tender, flavorful, naturally-occurring protein. In this logo, it evokes a primitive shakiness and aggressive disposition indicative of what it means to be a carnivore.
This logo, for the most part, can seem 'all-over-the-place', and that's not on accident. But there's a difference between out of control and uncontrolled - the type here harkens to the latter.
SEC. 02 OF 04
//TYPE
SEC. 04 OF 04
// VOICE
The voice of Urban Carnivore shines in it's merging of universes, between urban environments and suburban/rural environments. For instance, "Broadway meets the Brazos" harkens to the New York roots of the owners, and their transition to a uniquely Texan environment when it came to business and expanding their entrepreneurial efforts. The idea of heart and toughness isn't unique to only one demographic - we're bringing it to consumers in the big city through our brand voice.
Conversely, we treat the secondary consumer, traditionalists and jerky enthusiasts, with the proper respect as to not alienate them. We're bridging these two consumers through a love for jerky, so parallels and juxtapositions in messaging are a major part of the proposed marketing strategy. There's a healthy amount of trust in both consumer bases to not only understand the gentle digs as our sense of humor, but to also actively engage in it with and against the 'other side' in a back-and-forth that ultimately drives unity and community, facilitated by Urban Carnivore.
// ORIGINAL
SEC. 01 OF 03
The art direction of the packaging mirrors not only the humble* beginnings of it's founders, but the spirit of what it means for something to be 'urban'. For our original flavor, we went back to our origins as New York City entrepreneurs. And what better representation of NYC - or of an American made product in general - than the Statue of Liberty herself?
SEC. 02 OF 03
// TERIYAKI
Teriyaki is more than just a flavor profile - it's something steeped in a culture our consumers might not always be conscious of when picking up jerky to satisfy their cravings. What better monumental representation of contemporary Japanese flavor than the towering majesty of Japan's tallest urban structure, the majestic Tokyo Skytree?
// SWEET HEAT
SEC. 03 OF 03
As Urban Carnivore, we're subject-matter experts on all things meat, and where to get it. To bring our jerky consumers an authentic sweet and spicy experience, we had to get it from the source - St. Louis Style Barbecue. This Kansas-style derivative is noted for it's distinctly sweet flavor that meshes with classic barbecue cayenne/chili kick.
SEC. 01 OF 03
Piggybacking off the brand voice, the main idea of Urban Carnivore's consumer-facing strategy is that no matter where you're from - the city, the suburbs, or the country - you deserve amazing jerky. We facilitate a passionate conflict between these jerky-loving communities.
As observed by the sample videos, this conflict serves as a vehicle for a discussion around jerky. By presenting either 'side' as subject matter experts on all things jerky, we bring customers an entertaining, engaging verbal battle while also showcasing a form of social proof - for both sides, the best jerky is going to be Urban Carnivore. On this, at the very least, both sides can agree on. While the portrayal above is in the style of a reality show confessional, there are any number of conflict styles we could mimic in comedic fashion - from ideas as simple as marriage counseling (perhaps between a husband from 'the country' and a wife from 'the city') to ridiculous ideas like high-stakes nuclear deterrence negotiations.
So yes - in our paid media as well as our owned media, we primarily represent ourselves through these various actors portraying different 'sides', but the goal of this campaign would be for our manufactured conflict to carry over healthily into earned media, where people in real life from different communities argue passionately against each other over the lighthearted topic of jerky. This creates not just customers, but brand advocates who see themselves represented in our marketing narrative. This is where we enter the possibility of creating a viral marketing campaign, and a brand association that will stick with us forever (or until the data tells us we need to switch it up).
This strategy is powerful because it's both engaging and entertaining. According to my research, not only are social media users more likely to respond and/or engage in conflict, but the algorithms that run what users see on these various platforms (Twitter/X, Instagram, TikTok) are more likely to push it. Great examples of manufactured internal conflicts like ours in the past are Twix's "Left Bar vs. Right Bar" and Oreo's "Cream vs. Cookie" that premiered at Superbowl XLVII. We turn this idea up to 11 by keeping conflict and conflict resolution as a core part of our brand association.
SEC. 02 OF 03
A heist mystery game that is played by collecting clues located on the bottom gusset of Urban Carnivore bags.
The Original Urban Carnivore Jerky Bag has been stolen from the Smithsonian, and suspicion immediately falls on two groups - jerky lovers from the city and jerky lovers from the country. This campaign invites fans to help crack the case and recover the national treasure - one bag of jerky at a time.
For a limited time, we transform our bags into interactive case files. Each gusset comes alive with a QR code containing some kind of evidence, like surveillance footage, interrogation footage, or an alibi for a certain character. There's also a cipher code that may require a collective effort to solve or crack.
www.urbancarnivore.com will have a "Detective HQ" microsite where fans can access additional information or leads whenever available, and players are able to submit answers for who the culprit is and where they are.
We can't forget the prize for being the first to figure out the information - likely a lump-sum of money that's carefully set to fit within our campaign budget. Sales from this campaign likely would also come from social activation like fan theories, clue sharing, or even representing a certain 'side'.
SEC. 03 OF 03
As the status/legitimacy of the Urban Carnivore brand grows, it will be time to move away from the antics of our core campaign and stand for something real and tangible; relatable to our consumer, or critical of a behavior in our society and using our platform to change it or make it better.
The outgroup in our consumer base are suburbians and beyond, which tend to hold a more conservative value system compared to the ingroup. In the spirit of us all being Americans in pursuit of the American Dream, the concept of family is one that supersedes political affiliation. This campaign focuses on how different family can look across any group of people. Given family, chosen family, adopted family, single fathers/mothers, and the stories generated from these configurations.
A key component of our core campaign is the juxtaposition between urban and country people, and to a degree we will still use that - but this time, the focus isn't on trivial, comedic conflicts, but rather something more heartwarming that reaches across that imaginary boundary and unites.
