AMERICAN FOODIE LEAGUE

Case Study

what is the afl?

The AFL is a league of American foods competing to dominate the arena that is America’s tastebuds.
The AFL was originally a passion project where I challenged myself to take American foods and turn them into badass mascots. I then created a brand, and within the league, each foodie (mascot) team has a look and personality based on the dish and its origin. The original idea was for the foodies to simply be interactively showcased online. I then took the project further to what you will see below.

PROCESS

My desire to design unconventional sports mascots is inspired by the unique mascots representing Minor League Baseball teams. With a desire to bring in a slight retro theme, I referenced old packaging, logos, and baseball cards. The foodies started off their development with a retro look that I then pushed to be more dynamic.
 
 

IDENTITY

I finalized the AFL badge logo lockup with a traditional look. The mark has the appearance of something serious, but the bite mark on the “A” quickly alludes to some tongue-in-cheek fun. The color choices are palatable with a nod to some retro tones. Secondary colors will allow each foodie to have its own color scheme while some overlap in usage to unify the foodies.
 
 

FOODIES

Each mascot was illustrated with its food origin, rich history, and cultural influences in mind. As we know, American sports and food go hand in hand! Each foodie mascot was individually created with these details, influencing its look and expression.

LINEUP CARDS

The lineup cards were heavily influenced by 80s and 90s baseball cards with simple elements and careful typeface choices. Each foodie is introduced on the front with its name and rank. The back of the cards shares clever snippets of the food’s American history as well as food-themed “performance” stats.
 
 

COLLECTION PACK

All of this foodie obsession comes together in a carefully crafted collector tin holding the featured 25-count foodie collector cards along with a foodie welcome pamphlet, Home Slice enamel pin, sticker pack, patch, and pennant.
 
 

MERCH

In addition to the Foodie Favorites Collector Packs, there will be merchandise available online. The store will feature t-shirts, hats, as well as patches and collector pins of the rest of the foodie characters. The collector packs will include a pamphlet that informs consumers how to purchase these additional items.
 
 

My ultimate goal for this project was to challenge myself to take an unconventional theme and create fun sports mascots. Working through all aspects of creating the deliverables was also something I was glad to sink my teeth into.