Food worth
getting dirty for
CHICO LOCO
The sad truth about healthy food is that it’s often seen as boring or un-tasty. The Loco Group came to us with the challenge of branding a healthy fast-casual concept focusing on authentic Mexican grilled chicken. It had to shout “healthy” – because it was. But it couldn’t feel boring – because it wasn’t. Our response was more than just a new identity, but a completely fresh approach to the health-food category as a whole. We call it the “dirty health” movement, an entire way of life championed by Chico Loco, the makers of food worth getting dirty for.
Censoring the ‘Dirty’
We used the motif of a censor bar to play with ideas of what’s dirty, and what’s not. This was paired with illustrations that celebrated happy, healthy bodies getting comfortably dirty with fresh, nutritious ingredients. All stereotypical, bland, and boring depictions of healthy food were banned.
Dirty Talk
Who says eating clean can’t be dirty? Our tone-of-voice foregrounds tactility, mess, and the elemental joys of feeding yourself with your hands: of plucking fresh-grilled chicken meat off the bone and slurping it down; of scooping up fresh tomato salsa with a chip; of licking guacamole off your fingers. Our version of dirty talk is an invitation to eat clean, but doing it in the most pleasurable, unfussy, un-boring way possible.
Spatial Brand Experience
We translated the brand world to the physical space, informing the wayfinding and signage systems in-store with the brand’s censor bar motif and typefaces. Distressed concrete walls and terracotta tiles meant to evoke the clamour of a Mexican rosticeria were set off by our cheeky brand illustrations, creating a uniquely Chico Loco experience.
The #DirtyHealth Revolution
The dirtiest four-letter word in the modern vocabulary? Food. Enjoying food made us feel guilty. Soul food was sinful. The fact was, food wasn’t unhealthy – but our relationship with food was. We launched Chico Loco with #DirtyHealth, a movement aimed at revising not just the category of health food, but how we relate to food itself. The movement brought playfulness and joy back to the health food category, by revelling in the real goodness of real food.
