Jessica Bell Schnake
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Brinkerhoff BBQ

Brinkerhoff BBQ brand identity, illustration, and packaging design. The challenge was to create a design that would stand out prominently on crowded shelves and make a bold, memorable impact with customers.

Additionally, the brand name was quite long, so we needed to find clear and digestible ways to incorporate it effectively into the design. The solution involved using a bright, eye-catching color palette paired with a detailed illustration of the owner to create strong brand recognition and a personal connection to Milford Brinkerhoff. Since the owner also operates a real estate company, he wanted to use that existing logo as a starting point, ensuring that both brands would feel cohesively connected and intentionally aligned in their visual identity.

Smoked with Science

Milford Brinkerhoff tasked me with creating a BBQ brand identity that was as bold and inventive as he is. On shelves crowded with lookalike products, he needed something unmistakably original—something that would grab attention, stick in customers’ minds, and reflect his “mad scientist” meets “innovative chef” personality.

The challenge? His brand name was long, and every design decision had to make it easy to read, easy to remember, and impossible to ignore. My solution paired a vibrant, high-contrast color palette with a detailed illustrated portrait of Milford himself, building instant recognition and a personal connection.

To tie everything together, I used his existing real estate company logo as a foundation—creating a subtle but intentional link between his two ventures. The result: a BBQ brand that feels daring, cohesive, and entirely his own.

 

SERVICES PROVIDED

Brand Identity

Packaging

Apparel

Illustration

Typography

 

Bold Letters,
Bigger Flavor

When I set out to design the Brinkerhoff Barbecue brand, I started somewhere unexpected—Milford Brinkerhoff’s real estate logo. I used it as a foundation so both of his businesses would feel visually connected. Even though real estate and BBQ spice rubs have nothing in common on paper, Milford’s worlds naturally overlap. He meets new clients at grill-offs and competitions, and when he’s showing properties, BBQ becomes the perfect icebreaker. More than once, a house sale has ended with a handshake, a smile, and a jar of his signature spice rub as a thank-you gift.

I created a bold, geometric “B” icon with yellow bars that call to mind grill slats and perfect char marks. The angular red frame ties back to the strength and confidence of his real estate branding. For the typography, I custom designed an all-caps, heavy-weight typeface to evoke bold flavor and give the brand a masculine, competitive edge that fits both industries.

In the end, I built a visual identity that makes Milford stand out—not just from other spice makers, but from other real estate agents too. His brand tells one seamless story: whether you’re firing up the smoker or closing on your dream home, he delivers with personality, skill, and a memorable brand experience.

 

From Coop to Pasture

This spice rub pairs perfectly with chicken, pork and beef. Lorem Ipsum is simply dummy text of the printing and typesetting industry. Lorem Ipsum has been the industry's standard dummy text ever since the 1500s, when an unknown.

It was popularised in the 1960s with the release of Letraset sheets containing Lorem Ipsum passages, and more recently with desktop publishing software like Aldus PageMaker. Discovered the undoubtable source. Lorem Ipsum comes from sections de Finibus Bonorum et Malorum" (The Extremes of Good and Evil) by Cicero, written in 45 BC.

Lorem ipsum
dolor amenuter

Lorem Ipsum is simply dummy text of the printing and typesetting industry. Lorem Ipsum has been the industry's standard dummy text ever since the 1500s, when an unknown.

It was popularised in the 1960s with the release of Letraset sheets containing Lorem Ipsum passages, and more recently with desktop publishing software like Aldus PageMaker.

Discovered the undoubtable source. Lorem Ipsum comes from sections de Finibus Bonorum et Malorum" (The Extremes of Good and Evil) by Cicero, written in 45 BC.

“For over a decade, this club has been writing our story, building our foundations, together. Now we stand at the precipice of a monumental era, with every facet of our identity primed to meet this moment.”

—
Milo Kowalski, Director of Brand Marketing