Born Ugly Bags a Bronze

Born Ugly and the new positive food rebellion brand VFC have bagged Bronze for Identity Design at the 2021 Drum Roses Awards. It is the first award that Born Ugly has won since becoming independent earlier this year, but brings the studio’s awards tally to 256. Also nominated in the same category were Moss & Moor and Ironworks.

“It’s always nice to receive recognition for the work you do, and being nominated three times and winning a bronze Rose for our work on VFC is the cherry on the top. We want to make an impact with the work we do, and VFC has gone from 0 to 60 in just a matter of months. The brand is creating some positive rebellious ripples and we’re so pleased to be part of their incredible story. So, congratulations to them and our team for putting a bit of positive rebellion back into the world of food!” says Rob Skelly, Associate Creative Director.

The VFC story

Matthew Glover, co-founder of Veganuary and Managing Director of Veg Capital, was not going to let a national lockdown get between him and his favourite restaurant dish. He contacted restaurant owner Adam Lyons to have a ‘vegan fried chicken’ burger delivered to his home, and that sparked the idea of starting an international vegan food brand together.

With a clear ambition, ‘to change the way the world eats’, Born Ugly was challenged to create a brand that appeals to a growing flexitarian market, and we did so by positioning VFC as a no-compromise foodie brand with all the greatness of junk, and none of the guilt.

Born Ugly wanted to start a positive food rebellion, but rather than preaching, spreading positivity instead because you should feel good about doing good. Unburdened by the self-righteous tropes of the category, VFC expresses its brand values by celebrating messy, dirty junk food with a feel-good attitude. At the same time, the brand sticks it to the man with a clear brand ambition to ‘shake it up’, by rejecting the status quo of the food industry and challenging the system.

Embracing the spirit of rebellion, the brand twists the visual language into something positive. Using spontaneous graffiti graphics to reframe the status quo, along with mouth-watering photography to make people think, smile, and hungry for change.

Sassy brand messages work together to deliver big on both attitude and flavor, encouraging consumers to literally take matters into their own hands. Dialing up guilt-free indulgence and fighting injustice from home, with a delicious sit-down protest.

Our designers produced a full wrap-around visual identity including expressive bespoke typography, tone of voice, and visuals for a digital presence, along with packaging and artwork that challenged the status quo of what it means to be vegan.

Since VFC’s launch, the brand has been running out of supply due to overwhelming demand. Matthew and Adam are also celebrating a new partnership selling VFC through The Vegan Kind Supermarket. Their direct-to-consumer offering has proven the concept works, and international retail opportunities are presenting themselves daily. The brand has delivered great impact in a fast-paced and ever-growing market, capturing the attention of herbivores and carnivores alike across the globe.