A branding and creative services agency with offices in Philadelphia, Newport Beach, CA, and Gainesville, FL, 160over90 has vast experience generating results for nationally recognized brand leaders. 160over90’s client roster spans consumer brands, among them Nike, Godiva, Under Armour, American Eagle Outfitters, and Ferrari North America; professional sporting teams including the Philadelphia Eagles, Miami Dolphins, and Los Angeles Angels; and an esteemed roster of higher education institutions, including UCLA, Duke University, University of Notre Dame, and the University of Florida. Services range from the development of single creative pieces (print collateral, packaging, and websites) to institution-wide image and rebranding campaigns. In 2013, AgencyPost.com named 160over90 to its “Agency 100” list of fastest-growing agencies in America.
Can you talk a bit about the copywriting for Yume Umē? The puns are genius.
kelly dorsey: The concept we created was born out of the idea that you can create whatever you dream up. We thought about Yume Umē as a world filled with fun characters that all have their own personalities. The puns are our take on how they speak to the outside world and are intended to put a smile on the face of restaurant goers. Honestly, it was really effortless collaborating with the copywriter; we were just trying to have fun.
What has the customer response been to the new branding?
I’ve heard from the creative director that “it has been positive.” Not sure what that means! I left the agency before this work was rolled out at the new franchises. As far as I know they are still a client, and 160over90 has since opened an office in Gainesville.
Did the client actively seek out hand-drawn typography?
They did not actively seek out hand-drawn typography. The hand-drawn aspect was largely driven by our concept. “Yume Umē” is Japanese for “Yummy Dream,” and it emphasizes the role of imagination and creativity in the dining experience customers have at the restaurant, where “Dreams Are Edible.” We brought this to life with an organic illustrated approach. It was important to me that the design also have some sort of tie-in or nod to the tradition of artmaking in Japan. This is how the execution of the logo came about. It’s meant to feel like an artist’s mark or seal, which usually appears as a red stamp of sorts on the bottom of an artwork. I wanted the logo to feel like that artist’s mark when applied to the overall branding.
Do you tend to do a lot of notebook sketches on all your projects, as you have for Yume Umē?
To be honest, I haven’t done much sketching like this for a couple of years. Yes, I always have a sketchbook, but as my career has turned more toward the strategic side of making, my sketchbook has slowly morphed into more of a notebook, containing notes, client feedback, directives, and thoughts—just words written hastily. I still sketch out visual executions here and there, but not like I used to. I haven’t done any hand-drawn lettering in so long that when I sat myself down to do some save-the-dates for my upcoming wedding, it really did seem like the skill was far away from me. There was definitely some procrastination due to the anxiety of being expected to produce the work I am known for, and realizing that I’ve really not kept up on my craft. It’s kind of like riding a bike, but I had to think about it more than I used to.
product: Yume Umē
client: Yume Umē
design firm: 160over90
creative director: Steve Penning
designer/hand letterer: Kelly Dorsey
illustrator: Mike Gray
copywriter: Kyle Arango
photographer: Tim Beitz
medium: Pen and ink
country: United States
“Yume Umē” is Japanese for “Yummy Dream,” and the name is intended to capture the playful, creative spirit of this restaurant chain. The vertical implementation echoes traditional Japanese artist’s marks.
