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2026
Panera Bread:
Brand Refresh
72&SUNNY
DESIGN DIRECTOR: SHANTANU SHARMA
DESIGNER: INWOO BAEK
CHIEF CREATIVE OFFICER: JULIANA COBB
GROUP CREATIVE DIRECTORS: GENO BURMESTER, PETER HUGHES
CREATIVE DIRECTORS: SANDRA JURADO, AMY FINN-WELCH
WRITER: MARI ESCOBAR
GROUP STRATEGY DIRECTOR: CHRIS KWAK
GROUP BRAND DIRECTOR: ASHLEY SMITH
BRAND DIRECTOR: JULIET PENN-HUGHES
PROJECT DIRECTOR: VICTORIA GLICK
PROJECT MANAGER: MILA STANISIC
PANERA BREAD
VP BRAND MARKETING & DESIGN: MICHELLE ORMES
CREATIVE DIRECTOR: RACHNA CHARI
VP, BRAND MARKETING: KENDRA DEMBRO
SR. MANAGER, BRAND MARKETING: PENNY LAYISH
SR. MANAGER, BRAND CREATIVE & COPY: MAIREAD MCGONAGLE
DESIGNERS: GABRIELA BERNARDO, STEVE SANGAPORE, RICI HOFFARTH, CASEY JONES
COPYWRITER: HANNAH BECKER
PROJECT MANAGER: THOMAS BAKER
PRODUCT & PHOTOGRAPHY MANAGER: JOYCE FRIEBERGER
PLAYGROUND
OWNERS & CREATIVE DIRECTORS: ROB FIELDHOUSE, LEE ROBINSON
CREATIVE DIRECTOR: LIZZY HINRICHS
SENIOR ART DIRECTOR: COLLEEN HEINE
VITREOUS POST
POST-PRODUCTION: SEAN FUNCIK, STEFANIA MATTU
MONOTYPE
SENIOR TYPEFACE DESIGNER: JORDAN BELL
EXECUTIVE CREATIVE DIRECTOR: SARA SOSKOLNE
PROJECT MANAGER: SUE WAKSMONSKI
GENTL AND HYERS
PHOTOGRAPHER: ANDREW GENTL
PHOTOGRAPHER: MARTIN HYERS
FOOD STYLIST: MICHELLE GATTON
FOOD STYLIST: DREW AICHELE
PROP STYLIST: SOPHIA PAPPAS
ORIGINAL DESIGN SYSTEM: JKR
As we embarked on the assignment, a clear truth emerged: Panera doesn’t sell fast food— it serves real meals, made for how people actually live. This truth became our north star, inspiring a new brand platform designed to flex: “IT JUST MEALS GOOD.” Guiding everything from national broadcast, packaging, OOH, to digital experiences, it reframed “meal” as more than just a menu item, but into a moment you make yours.
A platform this fresh needed a visual identity refresh. Enter our updated design system – including a new bespoke typeface, a brighter palette, vibrant and immersive photography, and a new motion language to pair with fresh new layouts and product stickers. Because “food fit for a meal” deserves a visual world that JUST MEALS GOOD.
We left no bread bowl unturned.
Starting with a new bespoke typeface: Panera Bravo, created in partnership with Monotype. This gooey, craveworthy new typeface is at the heart of Panera’s refreshed identity. The lettering was inspired by the hand-lettered bakery signage of Panera’s roots, weaving together the nostalgia of the brand’s past with the warmth and vibrance of its future. The name itself borrows from one of Panera’s most popular items, Bravo sauce, infusing the type with that same saucy, decadent feel.
Then we turned up the volume on our color palette – taking what we loved about the old system and opening the aperture to something new. Dialing up our vibrant secondary colors to reinforce the freshness of our ingredients, showing up bolder than ever before. We centered our photography on what we do best: quality food. Leaning into textures, natural light, and macro shots that you can get lost in. And where we can, we’re embracing the perfectly imperfect - a crumb here, a drip there – all to give that authentic representation of the Panera experience.
Lastly, we applied a new motion language – injecting energy and dynamism into our type design system. It's bold, drives crave, and showcases our definition of a meal with pride.
Finally, we rolled out the updates across every touchpoint, from employee uniforms and digital experiences to Panera cafes. And taken as a whole, they’ve modernized the brand’s look and feel while maintaining the warmth people know and love. We found our future by embracing our past.
RECOGNITION
Typography: Display Typeface - Finalist