Nathan’s Famous is a storied part of New York history, dating back to 1916 when Polish immigrant Nathan Handwerker reportedly started a nickel hot dog stand on Coney Island with a $300 loan from two friends and his wife’s secret spice recipe.

Today, the brand can be found in supermarkets across the US and has restaurants around the world as well as its original Coney Island outpost, which is home to its now legendary annual hot dog eating contest.

Adam&eveDDB New York pitched for the Nathan’s Famous business in 2023 with a new platform: 100% Beef, 100% New York. Having launched the refresh with two ads – Beef and Mustard – that put its personality front and centre, the brand has also revealed a new look for its historic mascot Frankie.

“Frankie hasn’t been used as part of Nathan’s Famous advertising for years. We thought that was a shame,” says Mitch Horton, head of design at adam&eveDDB. “He’s been a fixture at the brand’s iconic Coney Island location for decades. He’s literally part of the city’s landscape. To us, he seemed like the perfect mascot for a campaign all about authentic New York attitude and modern nostalgia.”

While Frankie has retained his vintage illustration look and feel, the agency modernised his shape, applied flat colours and a retro dot pattern, and incorporated a more distinct New York attitude for the hot dog.

“He’s still got a chef hat, apron and gloves. But he’s a New Yorker, so we gave him cooler kicks. And some sidekicks, Moe-stard and Ken-chup. He can appear in different outfits or contexts, for example dressed as Uncle Sam for the hot dog eating contest, or just getting a tan on a BBQ grill,” Horton adds.

Alongside Frankie and his new sidekicks, the design refresh also includes bold typography, sticker designs that highlight brand benefits, and a red, green and yellow colour palette that add a modern update to the brand’s well-documented heritage.

adamandeveddb.com