Client Highlight: Chargrill Charlie's

Update (12/3/2018): Chargrill Charlie's Founder Ryan Sher told us that their summer launch was a massive hit -- so much so that they ran out of their custom towels, slides, and tees. After the event, over 200 custom headwear orders were waiting for them in the Instagram inbox.

Every customer has a brand they love -- whether they’re local boutiques or corporate discount stores. Customers connect with certain brands because the brand's heritage strikes a chord or the brands' products or the customer service or the brands timeless ethos. Brands who successfully evoke an emotional connection with their audience know that when their customers proclaim their love for the brand, the company knows it to be wholehearted and authentic.

Creating and curating the right promotional products to make an everlasting emotional connection with customers that never end up in the landfill is one of our specialties here at Anthem Branding. This post will detail how we provided a unique brand solution for an Australian gourmet restaurant chain, Chargrill Charlie's.

Who is Chargrill Charlie’s?

Chargrill Charlie’s is a customer-centric family-run business. They pride themselves on their use of only the highest- quality seasonal ingredients.

The Sydney-based gourmet food store prides itself for practicing original clean cooking techniques that all began in 1989 in a small shop in Coogee. For nearly 30 years, the restaurant has taken Australian shores by storm now operating11 stores across Sydney.

Their approach encompasses an ethos based on cooking from scratch, sustainability, food safety, transparency, and local sourcing. Since 1989, they have stayed true to their food ethos and to make sure all produce and poultry items that are delivered locally sourced and delivered, along with their freshly-made in-house sauces and spice mixes.

Chargrill Charlie’s was challenged with designing and producing promotional custom headwear

When we partnered with Chargrill Charlie’s we started building their custom headwear program based on five custom hat styles. This line is designed specifically for Chargrill Charlie’s staff, brand ambassadors, athlete supporters, and retail inventory. The incredible part of this story is that their merchandise started with the apple of our eye, custom hats!

Related: How to Choose the Right Partner to Build Your Custom Headwear Program

How hats emerged into something much bigger

Once Chargrill Charlie’s saw the success of tangible branded items, they became interested in expanding their apparel line with t-shirts and sweatshirts. So, we started the process of designing and sampling men’s and women’s style retail items to create a high-quality custom apparel line.

To ensure we translated the nuances of the Chargrill Charlie’s brand through the line, we incorporated unique features such as raw cut edges for t-shirts, and an interesting buttoned patch on the arm of the pullover.

Because Chargrill Charlie’s was aiming for a fashionable quality apparel line, our creative team pulled inspiration from U.S. brands like Vans and Ralph Lauren and combined those ideas with Australian cultural nuances to create unique branded features.

In the words of Jim Jarmusch, established independent film director, “Nothing is original. Steal from anywhere that resonates with inspiration or fuels your imagination...Select only things to steal from that speak directly to your soul. If you do this, your work (and theft) will be authentic. Authenticity is invaluable; originality is nonexistent.”

PRO TIP: Gather inspiration from brands and images that truly inspire you and represent the ethos of your brand. Juxtapose the brand by extending its ethos into high-quality company merchandise to generate an emotional connection with your employees.

Custom hats, hoodies, and more...

In order to stay true to the brand when designing unique promotional products for Chargrill Charlie’s, we left our so-called “Boulder Bubble” and conceptualized specific items that would promote their December 1st summer event launch.

Amidst early winter snow storms here in the Rocky Mountains, we sourced unique items through our offshore partners that best fit the gourmet food store’s budget and timeline.

The end result includes summer items such as custom bandanas, beach towels, cooling towels, enamel pins, phone fans (to plug into your iPhone), poker chips (for food promos and giveaways), beach sliders, sun shields, temporary tattoos, more hats, and t-shirts; making us landlocked snowbirds daydreaming of sandy beach days down under.

See what Anthem Branding can create for your brand!

Partner with us to discuss your custom headwear ideas or designs knowing that we manage product line inventory, logistics, and everything in between, so you can get back to what matters the most: growing your brand.