Unicorn Taco's Vibrant Rebrand Captivates Youthful Hearts

Yating Liu's Design Marries Myth and Mexican Cuisine

The rebranding of Unicorn Taco is not just a change of visuals; it's a strategic move to align the brand with its target demographic. Liu's design leverages a lively color palette and badge graphics that mirror the college student's identity, creating an irresistible allure for young consumers. The rebranding extends beyond mere aesthetics, embedding the brand's narrative into every design element, from the logo to the loyalty cards.

Unicorn Taco's new logo is a masterclass in dual symbolism and linguistic playfulness. The name "Unicorn" not only evokes the enchanting creature but cleverly splits into "Uni" and "CORN," nodding to the brand's university-centric audience and its staple product, the taco. The exclamation mark, a nod to Spanish punctuation, adds an extra layer of cultural authenticity and energy to the brand's visual statement.

The design's realization technology ensures that the visual identity is seamlessly integrated across various mediums. From the taco truck that roams the streets of New York to the aprons worn by the staff, every touchpoint with the customer is an opportunity to reinforce the brand's youthful and energetic image. The loyalty card, a mere 90mm x 54mm, carries the same weight of identity and connection to the brand's ethos.

Interaction with the brand becomes an immersive experience as each menu item is cleverly named with terms that resonate with college life, such as "all-nighter" and "group project." This strategic naming convention ensures that every aspect of the brand's design is intricately linked to its core identity, creating a unified and engaging visual system that speaks directly to the hearts of its audience.

Yating Liu's design journey, which spanned from July to September 2021 in Beijing, was not without its challenges. The primary obstacle was to create a design that was not only visually appealing but also deeply connected to the brand's essence. The result is a cohesive and unified visual system that skillfully incorporates the brand's origin, product characteristics, and target audience into a simple yet detailed graphic narrative.

Unicorn Taco's rebranding has not gone unnoticed in the design world. The project has been honored with the prestigious Iron A' Design Award in the Graphics, Illustration, and Visual Communication Design category for 2024. This accolade is a testament to the design's ability to merge practicality with innovation, creating a positive impact and contributing to a better world through thoughtful design.