Fall Flavor Trends: Pumpkin Spice & Beyond
The fall season has become synonymous with the phrase: “pumpkin spice.” We can credit this annual craze to the brilliant minds responsible for Starbucks’ pumpkin spice latte. The massive popularity of this item caused other businesses to cook up their own autumnal creations, like Dairy Queen’s pumpkin pie blizzard or Krispy Kreme’s pumpkin glazed donuts. Our team couldn’t avoid the allure of the pumpkin spice trend either, and we decided to imagine how our customer’s logos could look this October, and what delectable pumpkin treat they could feature on their fall menu.
THE SOCIAL (BROOKLYN, NY)
https://www.thesocialbrooklyn.com/
The Social is an ice cream shop in Brooklyn from the same owners of Ample Hills Creamery. I was initially drawn to their concept because of their colorful and organic shapes. It felt like an inviting logo to manipulate. I started by altering the colors of their 70s stripes to a scheme more fitting for fall: those classic oranges, browns, and yellows. After finding the perfect balance, I could not resist turning that round, red cherry into a spooky jack-o-lantern.
For their fall special, I’d adapt their flavor “Morning in Paris,” which consists of buttery croissant-infused ice cream and swirls of raspberry jam. Instead, I’d substitute pumpkin flavored ice cream with clusters of cinnamon sugar. They could call this rendition “Night in Sleepy Hollow.”
Written & Designed by: James Coviello
BATHTUB GIN (NY / LA)
https://www.bathtubginnyc.com/
Bathtub Gin is a roaring twenties-inspired speakeasy named after the homemade alcohol that was watered down in bathtubs during prohibition. Since this brand emanates so much history, it was an easy choice for our October trend. The pumpkin spice process on this logo didn’t rely on any color changes since the palette was already orange, black, and cream. The real transformation came from converting our bathing lady into a bone-chilling skeleton.
Their iconic “BTG Espresso Martini” contains vodka, coffee liqueur, salted maple and vanilla. It seems to me like some pumpkin spice syrup would feel right at home in that mix. With this small addition, we could alter their acronym and create the “BOO Espresso Martini.”
Written & Designed by: James Coviello
Flaming Pig BBQ (OLYMPIA, WA)
https://www.flamingpigbbq.net/
Flaming Pig BBQ is a classic BBQ concept + food truck in Olympia, WA. I’m not sure why I was drawn to a BBQ joint for a post about pumpkin spice, maybe it was the fun cartoon logo, or maybe it was because a BBQ restaurant is the last place you would expect to find pumpkin spice flavor. Whatever the reason, it was definitely solidified by their logo. I love the little pig character almost as much as I love his new little witch hat! Obviously the main effect here to achieve the pumpkin spice look is the transition to rich yellows and oranges in the text.
The flaming pigs menu features standard BBQ fare, as one would expect, so if they were going to add a pumpkin spice special to it, I feel like it would be a new menu item. Personally I love Hawaiian BBQ and spam, and the concept of pumpkin spice spam is fascinating to me (yes it actually exists). I think some pumpkin spice Spam bbq musubi would be an excellent addition to their small plates as a seasonal special.
Written & Designed by: Kai Malowany
Cutlets (NYC, NY)
In keeping with the theme of unlikely places to find pumpkin spice specials, we have Cutlets. Cutlets is a modern and trendy sandwich shop with a few locations in Manhattan. Their logo is fairly simple but I felt it presented a unique opportunity for some spooky wordplay. I added the knife graphic and applied a similar fall tone + red color change.
Cutlets menu seems like the perfect place for a warm-spiced, thanksgiving inspired sandwich, of course featuring pumpkin. Thick sliced roast turkey, aioli, cranberry and cabbage slaw, and a nice spiced pumpkin puree would make a lovely warming sandwich for those cold NYC autumn days.
Written & Designed by: Kai Malowany
