CASE STUDY

All-Purpose Pizzeria

Growing up on the east coast means growing up with pizza in many exalted forms. Birthday pizza parties with plastic red pitchers of soft drinks and crushed ice. The corner slice shop with flickering neon signs and six-packs to go. Checkered tablecloth Italian-American family establishments open for decades and unchanged. It’s these poignant pizza memories we set out to conjure with this brand identity system for a pizza concept in Washington D.C.

  • The Heads of State created a hip and recognizable brand for what is now a household name in the D.C. hospitality scene. This was crucial to establishing ourselves in a highly competitive scene, and it has paid dividends as we expand our brand throughout the city.
    Colin McDonough
    Co-Owner

Process

All-Purpose Pizzeria is located in the Shaw neighborhood in Washington D.C. which is packed with great places for food and drink. Our design had to be high-end and elegant enough to compete with other neighborhood staples, yet comforting and approachable. Working from a neon sign motif and custom lettering, the identity constantly balances the high-brow and the low. The packaging, menus, and wearables are clearly unified but not overly branded with the same logo again and again. Instead our system gradually morphs and evolves, offering various takes on a theme. We incorporated a sticker system into the packaging to make the cardboard aesthetic of take-out pizza boxes feel more custom and personal. 

Results

The components and experience at this pizzeria make you feel right at home with elbows on the table. The neighborhood and city have responded with praise and additional locations have opened including an outpost in the bustling waterfront area near Nationals Park. 

Project Components

  • Branding
  • Custom Alphabet
  • Lettering
  • Packaging
  • Signage
  • Website