Famous in the Philippines and across South East Asia, Jollibee has been serving up Asia’s favourite fried chicken for over 30 years. At home, they’re bigger than McDonald’s. But when it came to expanding into Europe and the UK, their brand needed to evolve to stand out in a crowded market whilst appealing to a youthful and family-orientated, western audience.
STRATEGICDIRECTION
East meets West
For Jollibee to succeed in the UK, the brand needed to compete on more than food and flavour alone. Their offer needed clarity – “A Modern Tropical Twist” became the strategic foundation that unified all stakeholders, in both the Philippines and Europe. This set the creative direction for the entire brand experience, giving much-needed context to the brand’s values and unconventional menu.
BRANDEXPRESSION
Islands that inspire
The Philippines are a multitude of exotic and beautiful islands; they also share an unexpected visual connection with the fried chicken – a motif that became an expressive graphic language, subtly presenting the brand’s origin in a contemporary and playful way. It would become the backbone of Jollibee’s new visual identity, from instagrammable packaging and in-store artworks to interactive digital screens and physical signage. A humble yet playful tone of voice brought clarity and personality to Jollibee’s offer, communicating their heritage and menu in a memorable, optimistic way.
BRANDIMAGERY
A flavour of South East Asia
Imagery was key to capturing the spirit of Jollibee’s origin and showcasing the menu in a mouthwateringly ownable way. Taking a cue from the strategic direction, we fused South East Asian patterns and textures with the brand’s existing colours to create a distinctive identity for the menu. It was displayed digitally in-store as well as on social media and other promotional assets.
BRANDEXPRESSION
A second home
At its core, Jollibee is a bricks and mortar restaurant. We collaborated closely with Applied Studio Architects to define a restaurant experience that would elevate the brand, reflecting Jollibee’s family values and cultural heritage. An overarching concept of ‘a second home’ drew inspiration from the vibrancy and creativity of Filipino and wider South East Asian culture, while telling multiple brand stories throughout the experience. The result was a flexible system of murals, lightboxes and signage to give the restaurant a distinctively upbeat personality.
The team at ico helped evolve and modernise our brand to give us a real point of difference in a Western market, whilst completely respecting the spirit and heritage of the brand.
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Stores across Europe by 2025
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Pieces of chicken
joy sold in the UK
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Followers on social media worldwide
ico unified the Jollibee team across continents. Their clarity of thought, ability to really listen and collaborate has taken the brand and our experience to another level.
