Design and Strategy | Danny Houston

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DESIGN &
STRATEGY

Urban Carnivore is an initial concept for a beef jerky product aimed at the inner city market, as opposed to the outdoorsy focus that most emergent jerky products tend to adopt. Conceptualized by the CEOs of Sow Good, I was given the name 'Urban Carnivore' and asked to run with it, and provide a comprehensive brand identity & product strategy that aligns with the chosen name as well as the consumers we hope to reach. The initial product launch was set for the UAE/Arabic market, as American-made CPG products are considered a premium item in that region. This knowledge lends to the direction I decided to take in both the design and strategy showcased below.

Role: Art Director, Principal Designer

Team: Brand Identity, Strategy, Product Design

BRAND

IDENTITY

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.

Dirty

PUNK

This display font exists as an alternative to the ransom letter in the logotype, albeit flat & texture-less. It's disjointed form and textual variety harkens to the rebellious undertones of city living.

DIRTY

STAINS

This font serves as a complimentary font to either of the above fonts, as well as a subheader. The ink-bled style and gritty texture parallels with what the idea of 'urban' represents. Authenticity isn't always pretty.

Brother

This font, also in the logotype, doubles as decently legible body copy, but can also serve as a display font is large enough. It's raw, handmade appearance speaks to the spirit of what it means to be a carnivore.

URBAN ADVENTURER

THE

DEMOGRAPHICS

Age: 25–40 years old
Gender: Male and female, evenly split
Location: Major metropolitan areas (e.g., New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago)
Income: Middle to upper-middle class ($50,000–$120,000/year)
Occupation: Professionals in industries like tech, finance OR city travelers and nomads

PSYCHOGRAPHICS

Lifestyle:
- Active and health-conscious, often juggling busy schedules with workouts, social events, and side projects.
- Values convenience without sacrificing quality.
Values:
- Prioritizes clean eating, sustainability, and ethical sourcing.
- Enjoys premium products that align with their "work hard, play hard" philosophy.
Interests:
- Fitness (e.g., yoga, CrossFit, running).
- Urban exploration, from trendy coffee shops to rooftop bars.
- Tech gadgets, apps, and anything that adds efficiency to their lives.

BUYING MOTIVATIONS

Taste with a Twist: Prefers bold, gourmet flavors (e.g., sriracha-lime, smoked chipotle) that feel sophisticated and modern.
Portability: Needs snacks that fit their on-the-go lifestyle, whether at work, the gym, or during a commute.
Health: Looks for high-protein, low-sugar snacks to fuel their day while staying fit.

TRADITIONALENTHUSIAST

THE

DEMOGRAPHICS

Age: 30–55 years old
Gender: Primarily male
Location: Suburban and rural areas
Income: Middle-income ($40,000–$80,000/year)
Occupation: Skilled trades, blue-collar workers, and outdoors enthusiasts

PSYCHOGRAPHICS

Lifestyle:
- Enjoys outdoor activities like fishing, hunting, camping, and tailgating.
- Prefers hearty, satisfying snacks that provide energy for long days of work or recreation
Values:
- Practicality over trends, but appreciates a good value for premium quality.
- Traditional, with a fondness for rustic and familiar flavors.
Interests:
- Sports (watching and participating)
- DIY projects, grilling and barbecuing.
- Outdoor adventure and road trips.

BUYING MOTIVATIONS

Flavor and Familiarity: Prefers classic beef jerky flavors like hickory-smoked, teriyaki, and black pepper.
Sustained Energy: Needs a high-protein, long-lasting snack for workdays or outdoor adventures.
Portion Size: Looks for larger, shareable packs or value-sized options.

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.

#CityToughCountryTougher

#HighRisevsHayBale

#BackroadsOverBroadway

#RealJerkyEater

#CitySlicker

#CountryBumpkin

#JerkyintheCity

#JerkyintheCountry

#WeChewitBetter

BRAZOS

MEETS

BROADWAY

THE

When Hunger gets

TOUGH

the tough get

JERKY

BIG CITY

ENERGY

FlavoR

BIG COUNTRY

STRATEGY

Campaign

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 on the previous page was 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.

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'.

WHODUNIT

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.

"THIS IS FAMILY"

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.

PRODUCT

DESIGN

THE STATUE OF LIBERTY

NEW YORK CITY

ORIGINAL

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?