Score
In Chicken We Trust: Branding Fried Chicken Like a Religion
The branding strategy for Jhonny — Holy Pollito positions fried chicken as a religious experience, using humor and conviction to create a unique identity that resonates with its audience. By embracing a cult-like theme, the brand effectively engages customers through a cohesive visual and verbal identity that is both playful and serious, ensuring a memorable experience that stands out in the competitive food industry.
Mindsparkle: Cualquiera DATE September 20, 2026 EDITOR Mindsparkle Mag In Chicken We Trust: Branding Fried Chicken Like a Religion Medellín studio Cualquiera built Jhonny — Holy Pollito on a premise most brands would have focus-grouped out of existence: that a fried chicken joint should be run like a devotional cult. The brand speaks through Jhonny Wings, a narrator who opens with a straight-faced theological case for poultry — nobody, he points out, ever got goosebumps and called them beef-bumps.The brand identity takes that joke completely seriously, which is exactly why it works.
Nothing here is winking at the audience; the whole system is built with the conviction of an actual faith.The illustration borrows the visual language of votive prints and saint cards: a haloed bird enthroned in a sunburst, winged drumsticks floating like cherubs, radiating stars and scrollwork, all drawn with the slightly crude conviction of religious tat sold on the steps outside a cathedral.The line “In chicken we trust!!!” is printed with three exclamation marks, because one would have been restrained.
It runs along the lid of every box, where a more cautious brand would have put a tagline about quality ingredients.It is held together by scarlet and chrome yellow, a checkerboard that turns up on every surface, and a heavy condensed wordmark stacked so the boxes read as a single block when they are piled up on the counter.In motion the iconography behaves like a cheap miracle: haloes pulse, the chicken ascends, type flashes in and out like a roadside chapel sign.
The restraint of the print work is deliberately abandoned.The film pushes the conceit furthest, playing the whole thing as testimony from a true believer.From there the system runs out across menus, uniforms, posters, signage and the restaurant interior itself — a full world built for a congregation of one very specific faith.
The article presents a unique branding strategy that creatively positions a food product in a way that could influence broader branding practices, making it significant and relevant for brand strategy professionals.
Weekly digest
Get the Signal digest
Every Monday morning — the top 3 brand trends, 10 high-signal articles, and one emerging signal to watch.
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
