Every summer, Birmingham, Alabama, becomes a culinary destination for 10 days thanks to the Southbound Food Festival, formerly known as the Birmingham Food + Culture Festival. This season, the project underwent a complete name and branding refresh, carried out by the Birmingham-based agency Matey.
The former name, often shortened to “Food+,” gradually stopped working. The plus sign was perceived as a digital marker, triggering associations with streaming services or discount retailers, while the sensory richness of a food-focused event was lost. In addition, the wording of individual programs, such as Food + Fire or Food + Funk, created pronunciation difficulties, slowing word-of-mouth communication about the festival.
Calling the old naming a total failure would still be inaccurate. It sounded ordinary but remained functional. The logo, set in a monospaced block typeface with a technical tone, had potential for development. With a bolder approach to form and presentation, it could have grown into a strong image. However, the brand’s visual identity evolved in a fragmented way. Illustrations, typefaces, and graphic techniques did not coalesce into a unified system, resulting in a random assortment.
The name Southbound resolved these issues. The name is tied to a place and points to the southern United States, inviting visitors to experience the local food scene.
Instead of a single mark, Matey developed a typographic system with primary and secondary logos, along with a set of badges. The primary logo is set in Mounties by the Letterhend studio. The sans-serif typeface references Art Deco and has an elegant appearance.
Overall, the visual image creates positive associations. The typeface resonates with Birmingham’s urban aesthetic, where Art Deco motifs have been preserved. Signage on historic buildings, including the Blach’s department store, creates a similar mood that aligns with the new logo lettering.
Beneath the Southbound name is the descriptor “Food Festival,” set in Hypatia Sans by Adobe. This humanist sans-serif typeface is used across all brand communications.
The Southbound Food Festival rebrand creates room for further development and more accurately conveys the culinary spirit of the American South.