2025 Winner

The biggest driver in fast food is comfort, but after a decade of targeting health-conscious consumers and dealing with brand inconsistency, A&W had fallen out of top-of-mind consideration. With “Brand Refresh,” Rethink turned to A&W’s roots, drawing on its classic menu and related items that had defined its place in the fast-food landscape for more than 70 years. Every element of the refreshed identity was designed to evoke comfort. Custom typography was inspired by original menu boards. Brand colours were streamlined to the original orange and brown for all mass advertising, while a secondary palette – based on ingredient colours – was used for point-of-sale and in-store materials.

Credits

CCO: Aaron Starkman, Mike Dubrick
CSO: Sean McDonald
ECD: Leia Rogers, Morgan Tierney, Hans Thiessen
Creative Director: Alex Bakker Bob Simpson
Associate Creative Director: Mark Mabey Justin Kowalczuk Brie Lim
Designer: Mark Mabey Justin Kowalczuk Brie Lim Abrie Miller
Motion Designer: Leigh O’Neill Jesse Shaw
Art Director: Mark Mabey Justin Kowalczuk Brie Lim Abrie Miller
Writer: Jordon Lawson
Strategy: Elyse Sanders Sam Massooleh
Typography: Letters from Sweden
Illustration: Rami Niemi
Producer: Sarah Lee, Char Garay, Claire Khan, Scott Russell
Accounts: Tianna Fung, Ed Vaughan-Hughes
Client: Sally Lee, Julia Cutt