While 2022 didn’t start off quite so different from the 21 months that preceded it, the Year of the Tiger is feeling a lot brighter here in Los Angeles. Filbert the Beaver predicted an early spring, the Rams are in the Superbowl, and Southwest announced the return of in-flight cocktails. The decline in omicron cases doesn’t hurt, either!
To be fair, 2022 started on a pretty high note. Our our branding and marketing client Wetzel’s Pretzels took a #WetzInALifetime trip to the Rose Parade. (It’s not a long trip—they can see the parade route from their corporate offices!) From our original concept drawing of the “Dough Rider” to real-life float adorned with flowers and seeds, it was amazing to see their team throwing the “W” and wearing the varsity jackets we designed — live on TV, and Instagram. Huge shout out to @ethanfromthirst for streaming the whole parade for us before heading to his food truck to sling pretzels and lemonade at the tailgate.
Speaking of in-flight cocktails (and marketing)
We’re pretty excited by the return to normalcy in air travel. The RFPs started flowing again last year, we’re expecting some big opportunities here in LA and throughout the US! The challenges faced by airport concessions over the past couple of years are mind-boggling, but some of the changes created by the crisis are bringing us closer to the airport of the future. Advance ordering and cocktail delivery are two of our favorite developments, not to mention replacing boxes of RFP binders with digital submissions.
A bright future
Our bout of optimism is helped by the bright futures of our restaurant marketing clients! Maybe it’s the vibrant Valentine’s vibes – Jason Smith’s gorgeous creations for Gigi’s cupcakes, the reimagined red velvet lattes at Mimi’s, and the perfectly pink, housemade strawberry cheesecake at Marie Callender’s. Plus, there are so many restaurant openings to market. There’s a sexy new Sol in Irvine that’s bringing serious Baja resort vibes. Followed quickly by a fun Solita in the heart of Anaheim’s stadium district for all the post-game action. And our lockdown-savior Cadoro is pivoting from home delivery to a new take-out bakery with all our favorite bread-based foods.
All things considered, the future is looking pretty bright! Wear your masks, support the restaurants you love, and we’ll see you at the Hollywood Bowl this summer! It’s their 100th anniversary and we’re just getting started on the new marketing, concession and wayfinding signage for this year.
