Marketing Case Study: Roll’d

When it comes to delicious food, Roll’d is exactly what you’re looking for. The Roll’d concept, which was created by world class D.C. chef Nobu Yamazaki, involved a simple mission — to create delicious, simple, fresh, and flavorful food that will build a cult following people will want to come back to, week after week. Nobu Yamazaki knows delicious food, and is the chef behind Washington D.C.’s only Michelin starred sushi restaurant, Sushi Taro. The mission behind their branding? To reflect that five-star dining experience in a way that was approachable, friendly, and just as delicious. 

Enter: our Dekree Studio team.

What was the Roll’d team looking for?

Washington D.C.’s food scene is a rich and extensive one, and Roll’d’s goal was to strike a balance between delicious, high-class food with everyday, eater-friendly experiences for every visitor, every time, and every day. The team wanted branding that could walk the line between an impeccable dining experience and an approachable one, which was hopefully going to result in a simple, modern, and organic branding portfolio for the restaurant. 

The Roll’d team was looking for a number of deliverables that captured eye-catching branding with design that reflected their delicious food — most specifically, a logo, menu design, and box design.

How did Dekree Studio reflect Roll’d’s goals?

Our team was incredibly excited to work on Roll’d’s branding, and we wanted to create a brand that helped set apart this new sushi concept from the others in town. We landed on a brand design that balanced detail, color, and modern design to create a memorable brand for Roll’d — a brand experience that balanced delicious food with a luxurious (yet approachable) touch. 

To create Roll’d’s logo, we used bold colors and font collections to create a sushi-themed logo that was instantly memorable and understandable. With a simple yet impactful design, we knew that the new Roll’d logo would effectively tell the story of the business, remind customers of the incredible chef at its helm, and create a new sushi experience that they could trust. We used this same concept to develop the box design for Roll’d, which ended up being a sushi box with a twist. Using fun cutouts and a text reminder on the inside that “this is how we roll,” the box design ended up bringing in a branded experience to the sometimes monotonous experience that sushi takeout can be. With a simplistic, defined and clear menu design, we were able to inject fun and whimsy to create a restaurant-first brand that resonated with customers and employees alike.

Looking to start your own branding journey?

From branding and logo design all the way to social media marketing assets, the Dekree Studio team is standing by to help you reach your goals. Ready to start? Contact us today, and let’s start making some magic.