For this project, I created new matchbooks for three iconic Philadelphia cheese steak establishments. As a proud Philadelphian and a self proclaimed cheese steak connoisseur, I felt qualified to create something new and exciting but not without appreciation for the past. Dalessandro's, Rocco's, and Ishkabibble's all have unique Philly character that deserve respect in their designs. 

Dalassandro's is my personal favorite. As a kid I always remember big lines and loud men sitting at the bar watching sports. Then receiving a massive cheesesteak that would take me about three meals to finish. How could one fit this twelve letter iconic name onto something as small as a matchbook; give it as much space as it wants and just make the matchbook extra long. This hand done cursive logo was drawn with marker on paper, then scanned and recreated digitally. This look gives a nod to the history and grit of this Philly landmark. The backside features a sandwich drawn with marker on paper, then scanned and recolored digitally. This massive sandwich reflects the length and slight tilt of the logo type to bring balance and strength to the overall design.  

Rocco's is located in South Philadelphia at the Home Depot. This sandwich spot serves a mean cheese steak, Italian sausage, and helps feed many hard working blue collar folk. This matchbox features a sandwich paper wrap with two stickers. The orange and white are similar to Home Depot and the blue represents the refreshing and revitalizing potential of a cold drink and a meal. 

Ishkabibble's is another classic located on South St. To be honest, Ish is not my favorite cheese steak, I think I just like to say their name. Ish-ka-bibble's. I boosted the letterforms into a rounded sans serif font that was kerned tightly. To drive home this concept, I made the name take up lines to emphasize this long name and create a more interesting and unique composition.