DAS BBQ Poster. Set A series of bold BBQ posters featuring block typography, orange accents, and illustrated meat cuts.

DAS BBQ

Barbecue for everybody.

"So much of our work is about dreams. This one you could smell and taste."

Stephen Franklin was a childhood friend and a Son&Sons team member. He was a brand strategy guy ready for a smokier future and had a family of Georgia pitmasters behind him. We got to build a brand for a friend, with a founder, around a product that's delicious.


Truth

Walk into most barbecue joints and you'll notice who's there — and who isn't. What was missing were women, kids, families, anyone who felt they might not belong. And Georgia had no defined barbecue style that required strict adherence. So: what if we made a barbecue joint where everyone felt welcome?

"What if we made a BBQ joint where everyone felt welcome?"

DAS BBQ T-Shirt. A black tee printed with the DAS BBQ butcher-style cow diagram.
Black Illustration Spread. A DAS BBQ illustration mixing tacos, flames, and hand-drawn rock-and-roll motifs.
DAS BBQ Matchbox. A matchbox wrapped in DAS BBQ branding with bold typography and yellow graphic accents.
Butcher Cut Cow on Orange. A DAS BBQ cow diagram printed in black over a solid orange background.
DAS BBQ Business Cards. Business cards featuring the DAS BBQ wordmark, lightning graphic, and simple cream-and-black palette.

Beauty

What is DAS? DAS honors the German and Czech settlers who brought smoked meats to central Texas. It's part of the story that earns a Georgia BBQ joint the right to claim Texas brisket. A name that needs explaining usually fails. This one got journalists explaining it for free.

We built a brand holding both halves of Stephen's vision: uncompromising about craft, welcoming about everything else.

“Turn for the Wurst” Billboard A large billboard featuring a hand-drawn sausage illustration and playful “Turn for the Wurst” headline.
DAS Erzerker Lager Can. A black-and-yellow craft beer can featuring a bold skull illustration and DAS BBQ branding.

Impact

DAS opened in 2016 in a converted Pizza Hut. By 2018 it took Atlanta Magazine's readers' barbecue bracket with nearly 20,000 votes. Then opened a second flagship in Grant Park with a purpose built smokehouse and pitmaster classes.

And the original insight is still running the place. In Stephen's own words: his dream of making Georgia "the most inclusive, creative barbecue experience in the country."

DAS BBQ Sauce Labels. A set of BBQ sauce labels for red, vinegar, and white sauces, each with bold DAS BBQ branding and usage notes.

Like what you see? Look at some more

WELCOME TO THE FUTURE. CADY CONFERENCE SCREEN
Midtown Social Graphics Grid. A colorful grid of Midtown ATL social posts highlights local events, community updates, public art, and neighborhood initiatives.
A bold blue Atlanta History Center logo
View all work