Thornton Utz meets In-N-Out Burger for an iconic collab.

Design Background:

In-N-Out Burger, founded in 1948 by Harry and Esther Snyder in Baldwin Park, California, is a beloved American fast-food chain that has become a California icon. Known for its fresh, high-quality ingredients, simple menu, and affordable prices, In-N-Out has gradually expanded beyond its California roots to states like Oregon and Texas. Its branding reflects a strong Californian influence, further cementing its identity as a regional favorite.

Thornton Utz was born on November 15, 1914, in Memphis, Tennessee. During his early years, he displayed a budding talent for art, often doodling in his school textbooks. Determined to pursue his passion, Thornton persevered and created a lot of famous work in his lifetime.

Design Problem:

To create an advertisement campaign for an existing brand/product featuring a collaboration with a renowned artist. For this fictitious project I used In-N-Out as my brand and Thornton Utz as the renowned artist.

Design Process:

For this design project, I developed a series of advertisement campaign posters for the brand and artist collaboration. I then expanded on the concept by creating mockups and adapting the designs for various mediums.

My objective was to select an artist whose style complemented In-N-Out's aesthetic while enhancing it to appeal to both the target audience and potential new customers. Thornton Utz was the ideal choice—his colorful, vibrant work captures a suburban Californian vibe, perfectly aligning with the essence of the brand.

Original Painting

Original Painting

Original Painting

Design Solution:

I collected various In-N-Out elements from images online, removed their backgrounds, and converted them into PNGs to layer onto my three Thornton Utz paintings. To blend the elements seamlessly, I stylized them to mimic the paint texture of the original artworks. Additionally, I removed some distracting details from the paintings to emphasize the hierarchy of the In-N-Out elements. These included burgers, fries, to-go bags, fountain drinks, an employee, and even an In-N-Out restaurant. The composition remained consistent across all three posters.

Final Photoshopped Campaign Poster